


Ghost Circles

by Aragem



Category: Bone (Comic)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 46,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragem/pseuds/Aragem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Bone Cousins have moved onto new lives in Boneville after their return from the Valley.  Phone is married with a son, Smiley and Bartleby have their own car repair shop, and Fone is a teacher and librarian.  Fone tries to overcome the enduring feelings he still carries for Thorn over the years through writing a memoir about their adventures in the Valley.  Then one night, a certain visitor appears at Fone's door . . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_The_ _snow_ _was a crisp white sheet swaddling the earth. Steam rose from the hot water like a desperate breath. She balanced on the fallen log like a dancer, the steam rising to cl_ _ing_ _to her hair and skin. A long valley of bare skin revealed set aflame his already smoking hat and she beamed at him and her smile stole his heart._

 

Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. C'mon down, we'll share the pool.

 

_The steam of the pool made his bulbous nose twitch and the water sank into his winter boots soaking his foot pads. He kicked his feet to shake the water from them and shook them again._

 

The bed springs complained beneath him and the sudden squeak had him bolt upright. Beads of sweat clung to his brow which he wiped on the back of his hand before reaching for his glasses. There was an open book across his chest and he carefully closed it and laid it on the bedstead.

 

He had left the reading lamp on last night, allowing him to see alarm clock reading 4:20. Much too early to get up. What day was it anyway?

 

After a few moments of careful thought, he remembered it was Saturday, which meant no school today so he could sleep in . . .wait, no he can't. Something else was happening to today, but what was it? He rubbed his face, his fingers slipping beneath his glasses to rub over his black eyes as his brain woke up.

 

Then he groaned. That's right. Phoney and Penelope's anniversary dinner was tonight and there were so many things he needed to do to get ready. He took another glance at the clock. He could afford to sleep for couple more hours, but he had an itch to do some writing before heading out.

 

He swung his legs over the bed's edge and sauntered from the bedroom and down the hall to where he kept his private library and office. It was a small room with only a desk and tall shelf with Fone's favorite books including a few dog ear editions of Moby Dick. He went to the third shelf from the bottom and reached behind the line of books and took out a manilla envelope. There was a stack of ungraded quizzes he would need to sort through before Monday sitting at the edge of the desk, next to an old typewriter Smiley gave him for Christmas years ago. He carefully set them aside to make room for the envelope. The chair creaked under his weight and he turned on the desk lamp, opened the envelope and pulled out a thick manuscript.

 

There was no title page as he could never think up a title nor could he ever give a name to the events that happened to him and his cousins years ago. On the first page:

 

_Two weeks after my cousin's, Phoncible P. Bone, disastrous announcement for his campaign for mayor, my cousins and I found ourselves in the uncharted part of the desert with little food or water and no idea where we were. I was studying a map while my cousins were of no help: Phoney was bemoaning his lost riches and Smiley teasing him about it. I could barely keep them from fighting. I was pretty certain we were in trouble until Smiley found a small map with distant mountain ridges drawn by a child's hand._

 

_Then the cloud of locusts came and we were separated._

 

He flipped ahead several pages, the pages describing his finding the Valley, meeting Ted and his brother, his first of many encounters with the two stupid rat creatures and then surviving the winter. Then he finally found the page he was looking for. The page describing his first meeting with Thorn.

 

This part always gave him a hard time. It brought up so many emotions and memories that he found precious and endearing yet at the same time wished he could forget. He had painstakingly typed each word to described the scene in minute detail and it had undergone many revisions. It was a powerful meeting in his life and he had to get it down just right.

 

He loaded a fresh white page into the typewriter and the room was filled with the keys clicking. He spent the next hour rewriting the hot spring scene. Many times before, he had written it and was satisfied, but a new memory, a forgotten detail would be remembered and he would rewrite this part yet again. This wasn't the only bit that caused him grief with memory as there were other precious memories of her. Walking hand in hand with her at the fair, the spring they rebuilt Gran'ma Ben's house after the rat creature attack, that stormy night in the barn, and in the prison cell where they clung to each other in pain and fear.

 

His alarm clock rung from his bedroom yanking him from his thoughts. He stood up so fast the chair fell backwards. He rubbed his eyes again and glanced at the clock. 7:00. He had been working non-stop for almost two hours. Fone Bone put the papers in order and tucked them back into the envelope and reverently put it away and began his morning routine.

 

He didn't know why he dedicated himself to a manuscript that he had no intention of publishing or showing to others. For years after their return to Boneville, he had this urge to write about what had happened in the Valley. No one believed them of course. Dragons? Mystic Dream Warriors? A Lord of Locust? It was all rubbish according to the Boneville Explorers’ Society. They laughed off their stories as illusions from the heat or tall tales to impress the fellows back home. Soon, Smiley stopped sharing the stories save for the little Bone Scout Troops and Phoney began laughing at their own accounts declaring that the heat had gotten to them. Phoney never liked talking about the Valley, he hated it and blamed it as the cause of all his woes despite the fact that he had three times tried to scheme riches from the Valley inhabitants. Only Smiley and Bartleby was willing to reminisce with him about that year they spent in the Valley.

 

Fone never thought himself a writer. He enjoyed reading books, but never had the desire nor believed he had the skill to write. But one day, with a mind filled to bursting with memories of the Valley, he began writing, first by hand and then by typewriter. He only meant to write about his time with Thorn, but to remember her was to remember everything; Gran’ma Ben, the strongest woman in the world, Lucius, grizzly and loyal tavern owner, the two Stupid Rat Creatures, the Great Red Dragon, Ted, and the Hooded One. He carefully made notes and even double checked his facts with Smiley and Bartleby, and sometimes Phoney if he was in a good mood and they were alone where no one can hear them speak of the Valley.

 

Over the years he had written and revised the manuscript. He once offer to let Smiley read it, but his cousin refused saying that reading too much gave him a headache, but trusted that it was good since Fone was writing it. Fone didn't bother telling Phoney about it as he would surely burn it or threaten Fone from publishing it. Not that Fone ever had any intention of publishing it. It was just too personal, intimate, and deep for him to share with Boneville.

 

Fone took his morning shower and cooked a small breakfast for himself. A teacher's salary wasn't that much, but he got by with a house on the corner of Bonubus street. A fine neighborhood like any other with the wives of the street sometimes sending their children over with a pie or casserole for their children's fifth grade teacher so he never went hungry.

 

As he munched his toast with jam, he mentally went over his errands for the day. First, he needed to pick up his and Smiley's suits from the cleaners and drop off Smiley’s suit at his home. Penelope, Phoney's wife, requested he pick up flowers from the florist and take them to the restaurant where the party is being hosted. Then he needed to stop by the library and drop off books before they became overdue as it wouldn't set a good example for the part time librarian aide to pay late fees for books. Then maybe he'll get back in time to finish grading quizzes before he needed to change.

 

He pulled on a clean shirt and adjusted his glasses perched on his nose as he grabbed his satchel. His car was a used model with the rounded top and curved front, not like the newer flat top models that had become so popular in recent years. The kids had called it the Muffin-mobile; Fone Bone and his Muffin-mobile.

 

It was a short trip to the dry cleaners and the suits were neatly press and cleaned and waiting for him behind the counter. Fone was impressed with the work they managed to do with Smiley's suit. It had been repaired and the mystery stained in the back was gone. The price for Smiley's suit had Fone whistling in disbelief. Phoney was footing the bill, but wouldn't it have been cheaper to buy him a new suit? No, Fone remembered, Smiley wouldn't wear a new suit because this was his favorite one. It was the one he always wore to weddings, funerals, and even to the graduations of his Bone Scouts. Once Smiley loved something he never let it go. Maybe that was something he and Fone had in common.

 

“Mr. Fone?”

 

A middle age Bone woman was standing behind him in a modest dress and a brown hat on her graying burgundy curls. It took Fone Bone a moment to remember who she was. “You're Jerry Bone's mother?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Fone.” The Bone woman smiled with pleasure at the quick connection. “I wanted to speak with you about the grade he received from your class.”

 

Fone bit back a groaned. He didn't have time for an impromptu parent-teacher meeting, but he always made time for a student in need of help. He hung the suits over his arm and turned to the parent. “I have some time to talk about Jerry.”

 

They stepped over to a quiet corner from the counter. Jerry's mother took a quick glance around the lobby and whispered, “I know my boy is a smart boy, but sometimes I don't think he's . . . smart enough . . .”

 

Fone nodded in sympathy at her concern. “I wouldn't worry. I think the problem is he is too smart. He's bored by the material. What he needs is more challenging material. I think he would do better in my advance literature class. He has time to catch up and I could give him some extra credit work so he can get his grade higher before the end of the year.”

 

Jerry's mother beamed. “Bless you, Mr. Fone. Of course, Jerry will take your class.”

 

Fone returned her smile, “I'll have the school send you the forms next week.”

 

Fone Bone's teaching career started shortly after the return to Boneville. He had taken back his part time job in the library where he was offered a position as the school librarian. The kids loved him at story time when he read from anything saved Moby Dick. He only read them Moby Dick when they were being too wound up from play and sugar and it became so effective that sometimes he was brought in to read Moby Dick to the kindergartners for nap time. Then the literature teacher chose to take an earlier retirement and Fone was asked by the principal to take over his class and had been there ever since.

 

Once Jerry's mother was assuage, he hung up the suits in his car and headed to Smiley's home.

 

When they returned from the Valley, Smiley and Bartleby made their way by doing odd jobs around town from repairs to painting fences. Bartleby had a knack for handy work with his long five finger hands. Now, he and Smiley took up residence in an old junk yard working as mechanics and towing cars for the town. Their house may have started out as a cabin in an empty field, but now towers of junk metal loomed over it and Fone Bone feared that the next time he visited, he would see the house collapsed under tons of broken cars and metal.

 

He parked his car a safe walking distant away from the jagged metal bits sticking out from the heaps and took Smiley's suit which he held high, careful not to catch it on any sharp metal. He tiptoed over the tattered cables and tall grass, mindful to watch for broken glass or bits of metal.

 

The door opened before he reached it. Bartleby filled the doorway and Fone Bone barely had time to move the suit aside before he was swept up in a big fury embrace.

 

“Fone Bone!” Bartleby exclaimed happily in a sibilant voice that did little to hide his friendly nature. “I'm so happy to see you!”

 

“Bar-le-bee!” Fone whimpered, his white face turning shades of red and then purple as the air was squeezed out of him. “Puu mei d-ooun . . .”

 

“Oh! Sorry, Fone Bone,” Bartleby set Fone on his feet.

 

Bartleby had grown to a full size rat creature, but unlike his Valley brethren, he took to walking on his hind legs instead of crouching on all fours. He even took to wearing a vest like Smiley's. On the back was a patch shaped like the Ace of Spades was stitched. Smiley had a similar vest with the Ace of Clubs. There were two more vests they gave Fone and Phoney the year before: Ace of Diamonds for Phoney and Ace of Hearts for Fone. There was a large picture hanging on Smiley’s living room wall with the four of them standing with their backs to the camera showing off the vest patches last year at one of Penelope’s social parties.

 

Bartleby led Fone Bone inside to a cramp, but cozy room filled with miscellaneous objects he and his housemate found interesting. A cracked teapot turned into a vase for an overgrown fern, a bare of old boots slung over a wall lamp, and an old fashion radio covered in water stain rings. Smiley was sitting in a comfy patchwork chair with his feet propped on a cooler. Bartleby and Smiley never bought anything save for tools and materials. Most of their belongings were things they scavenge from junkyard deposits and repaired. The radio was croaking out an old song Smiley had taken a fancy to and he was singing along at the top of his lungs in his warbling voice and twanging his banjo.

 

His usual smile was spread across his long face with a smoldering cigar stub between his teeth. “Hiya, Fone! Pull up a chair and grab a root beer.” He indicated the cooler beneath his feet.

 

Fone noticed the a hot water bottle perched on Smiley's right knee for an old injury from when a car Smiley was repairing fell on him. If it hadn't been for Bartleby's being present and his great strength to lift the car off him, the doctors had said that Smiley could have bled out or lost his leg. The injury had never fully healed and made its presence known on cold days or whenever Smiley had been on his feet too much.

 

Fone checked the clock. He had some time, especially for a cousin. “Yeah, I can stay, where do you want me to put your suit.”

 

Smiley's tossed a head to a couch, “Toss it over there.”

 

Fone grimaced, “I should hang it up. You don't want it to get wrinkled.”

 

“It's going to get wrinkled anyway, you know me.” Smiley flicked ashes from his cigar into an over turn combat helmet.

 

Smiley had a point. Fone could never figure out why, but whenever Smiley wore anything with an inclination towards formality, it wrinkled and became soiled within hours when Smiley had done nothing to make it so. By the time the reception for Phoney's wedding was over, Smiley looked as if he had been repairing greasy cars in his clothes. Fone gingerly laid the suit over the back of the couch and had a seat on the edge.

 

“I can't stay long, I got to go pick up flowers for Penelope's party.”

 

“Oh, really?” Smiley's grin deepened into a knowing smile.

 

“Yeah, really,” Fone's brows narrowed suspiciously.

 

“So you don't know?”

 

“Know what?”

 

“Penelope's new friend works at the florists.” Smiley's eyebrows waggled.

 

Fone moaned, “I thought she finally given up on that!”

 

Ever since Penelope married Phoney, she got it into her head that his cousins should marry too. Since Smiley wasn't quite a catch, working in a junk yard and being pals with a big hairy monster, she focused her efforts on Fone, playing matchmaker with her single friends. More than once she had suggested an interested friend to go to the library to 'accidentally' bump into him or ask for his aid in finding a particular book. Or, like now, send him on errands to places where her prospective paramours worked. He had a firm talk with Phoney about it and Phoney claimed that he told his wife to stop, but everyone knew who truly ruled the roost in that house.

 

However, despite her insistent match making, Fone and Smiley both really liked her. She was the mayor's daughter with a dominate personality and used to getting her way, but was a good and generous person who still liked having money and knew how to use it wisely. And she was able to do the one thing that had eluded Fone for so many years and that was the ability to put a pin in any of Phoney's schemes as soon as they appear. Phoney meeting and marrying Penelope had been the best thing that could have happened to him as Fone believed she made him happy and kept him out of trouble.

 

“Lindsey Bone is a sweet girl,” Smiley scratched his grizzled chin which had become persistent over the years. “And she's had her eye on you for a while.”

 

Fone moaned again shaking his head, “I'm—there's nothing wrong with her and I'm sure she'll make some guy happy one day, but that's not me.”

 

“Because you already have your heart set on someone else.”

 

Fone's heart skipped a beat and pain ebbed through it as it was prone to do whenever Thorn was mentioned. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he spoke, “She's not here, now is she? And—well, she's just not here.”

 

He startled when Bartleby held out an ice cold bottle of root beer for him. Fone accepted with a small thank you and held it between his hands not opening it. The rat creature turned to Smiley and said, “I'm going out to fix Robbie Bone's brake lines. I'll be done before we leave for the party.”

 

Bartleby slammed through the screen door. Smiley sighed and tilted his cap back from his forehead, “Yeah, Bartleby doesn't like to talk about the Valley. He said as far as he is concerned his life didn't start until he came to Boneville.”

 

Fone grimaced in memory of how hard he had tried to convince Smiley that the rat creature cub they had found needed to be back with his own kind, not knowing of the abuse the cub had endured under the rule of Kingdok, the rat creatures’ king, who had used cruel methods to weed out the weak in his rat creature army. Fone didn't know the specifics of what was done to Bartleby, but Smiley once said that the thick fur hid the scars.

 

Smiley stubbed his cigar out in a combat helmet ashtray which was in bad need of being emptied and lit up a fresh one with a matchstick he always kept on his person. “Don't worry about it. Bartleby is happy, I'm happy, and even Phoney found his happiness . . .”

 

Fone noticed the pregnant drift at the end of his sentence. He furrowed his brows, “I'm happy too, Smiley.”

 

Smiley puffed on the cigar, the end flaring up in an orange hue and then exhaled a long stream of smoke. “Are ya?”

 

He opened his mouth to answer, but falter as he considered Smiley's question. Was he happy? He wasn't unhappy or sad. He was pretty satisfied with life as it was. He had a job he liked and the other Bones respected him. Smiley was doing well on his own and Phoney wasn't getting into trouble anymore. He was in good health save for his eyesight which had become myopic from too much reading. So why couldn't he tell Smiley that he was happy?

 

Smiley crooked his cigar around to the corner of his mouth and leaned back. “How long has it been since we came back from the Valley?”

 

Fone scratched the back of his head, “I don't know. 16, maybe 17 years? It's been a long time . . .”

 

“The Valley was something else, wasn't it? Remember all the stuff we did there?”

 

“How could I forget, Smiley?” Fone remembered the dragons, the war between Atheia and the alliance of Pawa and rat creatures, fighting for their lives as the City of Atheia was under siege and Thorn the Princess Veni-Yan-Cari.

 

“Yeah, sorry, dumb question. You most of all wouldn't forget anything that happened there.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Smiley took another drag on his cigar and flicked loose any ash from the end. “That place changed each of us. I think some how, after all the failed schemes in the Valley, Phoney got it into his head that the best way to make money is t' do it honestly. And no matter how much he hates the place, it was what made him the richest Bone in Boneville again in the honest way.”

 

When they returned to Boneville, they still had a chest full of stuffed bread thingies of which Phoney abhorred. Yet, an idea clicked in his head. He took to the kitchen of the tiny studio apartment the three of them shared after their return, and began attempting to make his own stuff bread thingies. After days of failed baking experiments, ruined cooking pans, and dough and batter being sprayed all over the floor, Phoney came out with his own version of the stuffed bread thingies. And they were delicious. There were stuff bread thingies filled with meat, cheese, peanut butter, jam and, as a dessert, chocolate, cream, and candied nuts. They were called Phoney Bites.

 

They were new to Boneville and it hit off with such popularity that Phoney could barely keep up with demand and had employed Fone and Smiley to help out before he was able to hire his own crew in his own food stand in the market to several vendors around Boneville and finally into a restaurant which became a chain. Then with the money he earned, he invested it and bought several small businesses and turned them into profitable enterprises. Before the end of two years, Phoney was back to being the richest Bone in Boneville and found his soul mate in Penelope Bone.

 

The courtship between Penelope and Phoney had been a whirlwind romance. Phoney had been trying to acquire water rights to a farming development, but was blocked at each turn by Penelope who worked for the city with her father. At first, Phoney blustered and cursed about the raven hair Bonette that kept getting in his way and trying to strangle him with red tape. And just as Fone began to fear that Phoney was going to resort to murder, he bursts into the apartment with hearts floating around his head and lipstick stains all over his face and announced he was engaged to Penelope Bone. The whole run around with legalities was just their way of courtship it seemed.

 

It was surprising as before the Valley, Phoney seemed happy to be known as the most richest and eligible bachelor of Boneville. It was strange to Fone that he would be in such a hurry to marry, even though it did work out great in the end. They were both happily married with a son, Benjamin 'Ben' Bone. Phoney had been desperate to establish roots in Boneville through business, marriage, and parenthood, as if there was a deep fear of being run out of Boneville again. Before, he had just been an orphan who made it big with no known roots save for his cousins, now he was a citizen with his past sins almost forgotten, though there are some who whisper about his failed money making schemes behind their hands and whispering into an ear.

 

“Phoney has done very well for himself,” Fone said thoughtfully.

 

“Me, I found my something in the Valley and I was able to bring it home with me.” Smiley indicated the door where Bartleby had departed.

 

Things hadn't been easy for Bartleby when he first came to Boneville, even with the Bone Cousins in his corner. The other Bones were terrified of the rat creature believing him to be a monster. Even the zoo sent a representative to negotiate a price for what he called an exotic beast. Smiley would have clobbered the Bone if Bartleby hadn't have held him back. After that, Smiley was determine to prove that Bartleby could be respectable citizen of Boneville and went through great pains to prove it. He sought out jobs that would accept a fellow like Bartleby. Many doors were shut in their faces and only those in great need for yard work or washed cars would hire them and paid them in wages that were barely worth the job. But Smiley's determination paid off as the Bones became accustomed to Bartleby's presence and drew less stares and curiosity where he went. Soon the grocers let him shop in their stores and he wasn't chased out public parks anymore.

 

Before the Valley, Smiley was content to go through life with a smile and a joke, but Bartleby gave him a purpose, someone to protect and be responsible for. Smiley, who was had been satisfied to live as a bum while occasionally getting financial help from Phoney, now not only runs his own garage, but has a home he maintains on his own.

 

“But you,” Smiley pointed, his dark eyes focus intently on Fone, “You left your something back in the Valley and you've been hollow without her ever since.”

 

Fone blinked, then narrow his eyes, “That's in the past.”

 

“It is?” Smiley scratched beneath his cap as if trying to work out a puzzle. “Because it sure seems to be affecting you now. You don't date nor give any Bonettes so much as a second glance and you've been writing an awful lot about what happened in the Valley.” Then he fixed his knowing gaze that was out of place on Smiley's face. “Face it, Fone, you were happiest when you were in the Valley with Thorn. If it wasn't for Phoney and me, you'd still be back there with her.”

 

Fone's hands shook so hard he pressed them against his knees. “No, I wouldn't be with her, Smiley. She's . . .”

 

“She loved you, Fone.”

 

“Not in the way I loved her.” Fone hanged his head. “Don't you get it? No, you wouldn't get it. You never been in love and Phoney was able to marry the love of his life. The one person I will only love in this life and the next will never love me back. Sure, I could have stayed in the Valley and be near her, but I would never have her. Watch her marry some prince or king and have kids and just be there in her life, but never be apart of her life. When I left the Valley, I wasn't doing it for you guys, I was doing it for me, because I could use family and distance as a reason for us not being together rather than the face the truth that she would never love me back.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Fone never had reason to visits a florists before, but he enjoyed the flowery smell that greeted him when he entered through the glass door. A bell chiming above him notified the Bonette behind the counter. She was a pretty young lady with honey blonde hair tied into a loose tail and wearing a blue dress with a pink apron with a daisy stitched onto the chest.

 

“Hello, Fone Bone, Penelope told me you would be coming by.” She gave him a sweet smile that would have made any Bone's heart pitter-patter..

 

Fone half-heartedly returned the smile. He bet she knew he was coming. He had promised himself that he would be polite and not show the irritation he was feeling. Lindsey wasn't trying to be rude or an inconvenience for him as she only had affection for him. It was Penelope that had set him up for this rendezvous with Lindsey Bone so he should reserve his vexation for her.

 

“I have an order for three dozen roses in the back.” Lindsey tilted her head, uncertain, possibly noticing that Fone Bone wasn't in the best mood.

 

“I can wait. I'm in no hurry.” Fone lied. He wanted nothing more than to leave and take the roses to restaurant so he can give Phoney a piece of his mind about his wife sticking her bulbous nose where it's not wanted.

 

Lindsey gave him a polite smile and went into the back. Fone stayed by the door, his mind going over the last part of his conversation with Smiley.

 

* * *

 

“ _Ever thought of going back?”_

 

_Fone raised his eyes from his untouched root beer. “Pardon?”_

 

“ _Go back to the Valley? To visit? To see how every has been going since we left.”_

 

“ _Yeah, I have.” It was something that was never far from his mind, but had gained distance over the years. “But how can I go back? We still have no idea how we got there in the first place.”_

 

“ _It's easy. Remember what the Great Red Dragon said? Keep the sunset on our left and the North Star on our right to get back to Boneville. Just do the opposite to get to the Valley.”_

 

“ _But the Boneville Explorer Society tried to find the Valley and couldn't. Remember how they went public and called us liars?”_

 

_Smiley took another drag on his cigar and exhaled a stream of smoke. Through the smoke he said, “Well, they weren't us, now were they?”_

 

_Fone arched his brows. “Sorry? What do you mean?”_

 

“ _Well, supposin' the Great Red Dragon gave us a set of directions that only work for us?” Smiley waggled his eyebrows conspiratorially._

 

“ _So . . . you're saying the Great Red Dragon was able to arrange celestial bodies so we can come and go from the Valley at will?”_

 

“ _Why not? It's not too far a stretch after everything we seen in the Valley.”_

 

_* * *_

 

Fone Bone stared through the windows, his brow furrowed deep thought. Why would the Great Red Dragon make it only possible him and his cousins to return to the Valley? Was it a hidden place that they accidentally stumbled upon? Did the Great Red Dragon have the power to do that? Like Smiley said, it wasn't too far a stretch after everything that happened in the Valley.

 

But the thought that gripped him was that could see Thorn again . . .

 

“I'll help you take these to your car, Fone.” Lindsey's voice cut into his thoughts. Fone couldn't tell whether he was glad for it or not. She was holding a bouquet of roses.

 

“No, it's alright. I can manage.” Fone reached out for them, but she stood a small step back.

 

“I need to do it so they don't become bruised and Penelope also ordered a vase for them.”

 

“Oh, okay, um, sure, I'll wait in the car.”

 

“Um, sure.” Lindsey watched him with confusion and disappointment in her eyes.

 

Fone hated that he was so off-putting, but he really didn't want to play a part in Penelope's games. He hated himself for hurting Lindsey's feelings when she really didn't do anything wrong.

 

He stroll out to the car and unlocked the passenger door for Lindsey. She came out a few minutes later with the roses in the vase. Fone watched her come around and opened the door for her. He helped her secure the roses in the seat, even using the seat belt strap across the vase for extra security.

 

Lindsey Bone raised her face and he realized their noses were almost close enough to touch. The color rose to his cheeks and he hastily looked away before any eye contact could be made.

 

“Fone, next week, my sister is getting married and I need a plus one . . .”

 

“No.” The word was uttered before he could truly create a polite declination. He saw the flash of pain in Lindsey's eyes and he quickly said, “I'll be busy. I'm sorry, but . . .”

 

“It's alright. I understand.” Lindsey's eyes blinked several times as she stepped back from the car. “Tell Penelope I wish her a happy anniversary.”

 

Before he could further apologize, Lindsey hurried back inside the florist shop. He banged his head on the steering wheel calling himself an idiot. How could he have been so cold to her!?

 

He started the car and pulled away from the curb, heading uptown towards the restaurant Phoney and Penelope had booked for the party. Though he felt great guilt for how he treated Lindsey, his mind went back to the niggling topic of seeing Thorn again.

 

He could do it. If Smiley's theory was true, then he could pack a bag and be on his way back to the Valley in as little as two days. Two days to put his affairs in order and pack together enough supplies to see him across the desert.

 

However, if Smiley was wrong, then chances are that he'll be lost in the desert and die of starvation or dehydration within weeks. But seeing Thorn again would be worth it . . .

 

Would it?

 

Would Thorn be happy to see him? He had changed over the years as he was certain she had too. Being Queen, ruling the Valley, and being trained as a Veni-Yan-Cari on top of it all. Would she be the same sweet country girl he became infatuated with or the strong warrior with whom he had fallen in love?

 

What if he showed up and she was happily married with chisel statue of a man for a husband? What if she had forgotten him? Would it be better to never know than to discover that he didn't mean as much to her as she did to him?

 

* * *

 

Phoney was standing on the street corner directing Bones carrying decorations and furniture through the front doors. When Fone arrived, he took the roses out only for another Bone to whisk them away with a curt thank you. And before Fone had a chance to get back into his car, Phoney's arm snacked around his shoulders and he was held against his cousin side.

 

“Fone, walk with me and talk with me.”

 

Fone was towed along with Phoney's usual stagger. They went inside the restaurant where Bones were aligning tables and decorations. Phoney occasionally snapped an order at a worker or made a comment about a decoration arrangement. When they were finally in a quieter side room did Phoney release Fone from the near headlock and then turned on him, “What the hell is t' matter with you!? Penelope is steamed and when she's steamed I get burned. Her friend from the florist called her in tears a while ago. Whattaya do?”

 

The side room turned out to be part of the kitchen. Pots and pants were already prep for tonight’s feast with some Bones already doing prep work with produce. They were so busy that none of them looked a mite interested in the conversation the party host was having with his cost.

 

Fone rubbed the back of his neck, “I may have been a little rude . . .well, a lot rude, but I didn't mean . . . I'll go apologize to her tomorrow.”

 

“I ain't worried about you apologizing to Lindsey! Ya gotta apologize t' Penelope so I can have some peace!”

 

Fone rolled his eyes, “Yes, I'll apologize to Penelope too, but I thought you told her not to try to play matchmaker with me.”

 

Phoney held out his hands in a helpless gesture. “I told her it was a useless cause, because . . .” Phoney didn't bother finishing his sentence and Fone knew why. Phoney hated talking about the Valley and Thorn fell under that category. “Does Smiley have his suit?”

 

“Yes, drop his off before I got the flowers.”

 

“Did ya tell him to keep it clean this time?”

 

“You know how he is with suits. He doesn't do it on purpose. His suits just wind up that way.”

 

“And, uh, he isn't bringing that . . .uh . . .hairy thing, right?”

 

Fone sighed, “Yes, Smiley is bringing Bartleby, but he's always on his best behavior and Penelope likes him.”

 

Yeah, uh . . . it's fine.” Phoney muttered.

 

Again, it was Phoney's dislike for any reminder of the year they spent in the Valley. Fone checked his watch, “I got to go. I got some work I need to take care of before tonight . . .”

 

“Before ya go . . .” Phoney took a glance at the working Bone cooks who looked too busy to eavesdrop and leaned in close to Fone and whispered, “Fone, can't ya just go on one date with Lindsey? Or just any Bonette? Just to get Penelope off my back about you? I know ya still hung up on . . . you know who, but face it, she dumped you to become a Queen. You never had a chance with her to begin with anyway and she was . . .ya know, not a Bone.”

 

Fone scowled. This was the most Phoney had ever spoken about Thorn in years. Phoney had never been close to Thorn or her grandmother, in fact, Fone dare believed that he never liked them much. “I'll think about it.”

 

“Are you really going to think about it? Or just saying that to get me to drop it?”

 

“What do you think?” Fone left without giving Phoney time to say more.

 

* * *

 

When Fone returned home, he saw that someone was already inside and he likely knew who it was. He parked the car and went inside uncertain whether he felt bad or angry from today's events, but knew he was in no mood for visitors today. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with Benjamin Bone, Phoney and Penelope's son. He was a young Bone, still in school, but with a thirst for knowledge that rivaled any member of the Bone Explorer’s Society. He enjoyed books like his Uncle Fone Bone and was the only other Bone in Boneville that could read Moby Dick all the way through without falling asleep. And also, he was the only Bone that had read Fone's memoir.

 

It happened by accident while looking for a book that Fone promised to loan him. Fone had to work late and had told Ben to let himself inside, never thinking that Ben would come across the box where the memoir was stored. And being a curious young Bone, Ben read it. By the time Fone Bone came home, the young Bone was half through the memoir. Fone wished he had a better reaction than what he had upon the discovery. He regretted shouting at Ben, even tearing the memoir from his hands and kicking him out of the house. He spent the night waiting for an outrage phone call from Phoney or Penelope, but the phone never rang. Ben showed up early the next morning and asked about the Valley. And feeling so relieved, Fone told him about it and made him promise to never tell Phoney or Penelope about the manuscript. And Benjamin Bone became intrigued with the Valley itself always pressing Fone and Smiley for more stories about it and the people there. He was true to his word and never breathed a word of the manuscript to his father who today remains in blissful ignorance of its existence.

 

Benjamin was sitting at Fone's kitchen table munching on Phoney Bites and poring over a book open on the counter. Benjamin didn't inherit Phoney's permanent scowl, nor greedy leer, nor uni-brow. He got his mother's looks, but he did get his father's sharp mind and was the top student in his class. He chose to go almost without clothes save for a blue bow-tie and thick horn rim glasses. Dark freckles dotted his cheeks and bulbous nose, a physical attribute from his mother's own freckles.

 

“Hi, Uncle Fone!” Benjamin looked up from the book, sheepishly brushing crumbs from its pages. “Mom's mad at you.”

 

Wow, word of Penelope's rage travels fast in Boneville. What a surprise. Fone shook the harsh thought from his mind. No, it wouldn't do for Fone to show he was just as angry at Penelope in front of her son. “I'm sorry that she's sore at me. I really am.”

 

“Why don't you tell Mom that you're still in love with Thorn?” Benjamin place a bookmark in his place and closed the book. “Maybe she'll stop setting you up with her friends.”

 

Fone smacked his forehead, exasperation. If there was one thing that he didn't wish for Benjamin to know about, it was his continued feelings for Thorn. Of course, the boy did read his memoir and it was chock full of passages about Thorn. Even an illiterate Bone could sense the emotion behind those words. And Ben being young didn’t really grasp the anguish and heartbreak that came with impossible love. He had yet to discover the heart pangs of romance and Fone dearly hoped it was kinder to him than it had been for him.

 

“It's not something I wish to discuss with your mother.” Fone said in a tone that he hoped Benjamin would take a hint from. “Or anyone.”

 

“Hey! I bet if you publish your book, no Bonettes will want to date you.”

 

“Actually, I think if they read the book, I wouldn't be able to hold them off with a stick, a shotgun, and a grenade.” Fone groaned at the thought of publishing it. For one, Phoney would strangle him and the Bone Explorer's Society would again publicly renounce them. Not to mention that every Bone in Boneville would read all the personal and tender thoughts he had and still carried for Thorn. It would be like baring his soul before the whole town and the thought made him sweat.

 

“Yeah, but think about all the money you could make.” Benjamin scooted from his chair and tucked his book under his arm. “And the fame!”

 

“Now you are starting to sound like your father.” Fone said reprovingly.

 

“Well, you could prove that you were right about the Valley and those idiots at the Bone Explorer Society would have to take back everything they said about you.”

 

“That was so long ago, it doesn't matter anymore.” That was when Fone noticed something familiar in Benjamin's voice. A sort of pleading, needling tone he recognized from Phoney whenever he was up to something and wanted Fone to go along with it. Fone's brows slanted down in a suspicious scowl. “Benjamin. Usually, I'm asking your father this, but something tells me that the mantle has passed down to you so here it is. What are you up to?”

 

Benjamin's face turned a shade of hue and he stepped back with a hand raised disarmingly. “Just consider it, Uncle Fone . . .”

 

With a horrified intuition, Fone ran from the kitchen and into his library. He threw open the box and stared at the hollow insides and at the void where the memoir had been. When he returned to the kitchen, Benjamin was in the process of sneaking out and jumped off the floor when Fone bellowed, “What did you do with it!?”

 

Benjamin grimaced and turned around, offering Fone a reminiscent sheepish grin of Phoney’s when once of his schemes were failing and he was trying to pull it back together. “Take it easy, Uncle Fone, just give me a chance to explain.”

 

“Don't explain! Just tell me what you did with it!” His heart was pounding. The thought that it was out there was as horrifying as a parent whose child is missing. “Where is it?”

 

Benjamin gulped and then said quietly, “The Boneville Publishers.”

 

The silence that followed was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Fone took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and then he took another. Thoughts couldn't come to him, it was all just a buzz, like white noise, in his head. He had snapped and come back around to sanity within a minute. His grind out a single word, “Why?”

 

“I—well, gee whiz, Uncle Fonet's a great book. The best I ever read and I know others would like it too. I told Eddie about it . . .”

 

“Eddie?” Fone croaked.

 

“Yeah, you know Eddie, from school? He has the skate board and cap.”

 

A mental image of a Bone Benjamin’s age crossed his mind on a skateboard, oversize sneakers with untied laces, and a baseball ball on backwards. “Oh, Eddie. Yes, I know.”

 

“And he . . .well, he wanted to read it too. But I knew you wouldn’t let me take it out of your house so I made copies . . .”

 

Fone closed his eyes, loosing his sanity for several seconds and regaining it by his next heartbeat. “When did you make copies?”

 

“Um, the last period is my free period so I get to leave school early so I come by your place. I . . .I brought my own paper so I wouldn’t use up yours . . .”

 

Fone rubbed the bridge of his nose. So that was why his ink ribbon kept running out. And doubtless, the real reason Ben brought his own paper was to prevent Fone from discovering what he was doing. “The whole thing?”

 

“No! Eddie doesn’t read that much, I only copied the parts he liked. The Rat Creatures, the battles, and the fun stuff at the Cow Race. I made him promise not to share it with any Bone!”

 

“So how did copies for Eddie get to Boneville Publishers.” Fone felt his mouth going dry, but his body couldn’t move to get a glass of water. If he moved, he might breakdown.

 

“Um . . .well, uh . . .” Benjamin nervously coughed. “Ya see, Eddie has a girlfriend. Ya know Olive Bone . . .”

 

Again, Fone had to fight to stay in the moment because his sanity was threaten to leave again. “Go on . . .”

 

“He wanted to impress her and he said I never said never to loan the copies to any Bonettes . . .” Ben gulp and wiped away large bead of sweat from his brow. “And she wanted to read more romantic stuff so . . .”

 

“Okay, I think I know what happened next.” Fone was shocked by how calm his voice sounded. “You still haven’t told me about how my manuscript arrived at Boneville Publishers.”

 

“I’m just getting to that part,” Ben said quickly to pacify Fone. “Olive’s dad works for Boneville Publishers and she showed him and he showed his boss, Benny Bone, the editor in Boneville Publishes and he _loved_ them! He wants to publish it into a book!”

 

Fone closed his eyes, feeling nauseous. “Is he aware that I didn't know about this?”

 

Again, Benjamin audibly gulp. “Ya see, Uncle Fone, I didn't exactly tell him that you don't know about it. I figured what you didn't know couldn't hurt you.”

 

Fone opened his eyes, looked at the clock, and then narrowed them in determination. “Alright, let's go.”

 

“Go? Go where?”

 

“To the Boneville Publishers to get my manuscript back.” Fone marched to the door, grabbing Benjamin by the shoulder, towing him along behind him. “And you're coming with me to explain to Benny Bone that you did this without my knowledge.”

 

“Aw, c'mon, Uncle Fone. Why won't you let 'em publish it? Everyone that ready the samples think they’re great! It’s going to be a Boneville Best Seller for sure!”

 

Fone towed his nephew through the door. He took a quick glance at the door and made a mental note to get a lock installed. Benjamin had now proven the usefulness of having locks from now on. “Okay, first, I didn't give you permission to take it to be published. You lied to the editor and you lied to me. What you did can constitute as fraud.”

 

“Yeah, sure, but . . .”

 

Fone led him to the car and opened the door and stood to the side for him to get in. “Second, there are things in that book that doesn't cast your father in a positive light. He has came a long, long way from being known as the town schemer and cheapskate, and if this book is made public, it may remind those who had forgotten what kind of Bone he was and his reputation will be damaged. Not to mention, he'll strangle me and ground you till you're older than sin.”

 

Benjamin looked sheepish and got into the car, but Fone wasn't done yet. Once he started the car, he continued, “And last, but certainly not least,” he turned and gave Benjamin his full attention and the young Bone could see the hurt in his eyes. “I trusted you with something close to my heart. That manuscript maps out the events that have changed my life and continue to influence me to this day. The reason I wrote it was not for money or fame, but to better grasp what had happened to me in that Valley. There are parts in those pages that . . . that . . . are just too close, too private, too precious for me to share with anyone else, save for those closest to me, and you just shared it around with friends and strangers like it was some tawdry secret, some showman's piece or gimmick. I know you were trying to do something good for me, but . . . you really caused some damage to my trust in you.”

 

Benjamin looked down at his feet. “I was just trying to help . . .”

 

“I know.” Fone said and to his surprise his voice took on a softer tone. “I know and I will forgive you later. Right now, I just want to get my manuscript back and it would mean a lot of you help me to do that.”

 

“Sure, Uncle Fone, but what about the dinner? We're going to be late . . .”

 

“That - that will be something I'll deal with later. Right now I want to focus on fixing this blunder of yours.”

 

* * *

 

The Boneville Publishers still carried the name from back when it was a just a simple printing press and newspaper back in Big Johnson Bone's days. It was Boneville's only newspaper until independent papers sprang up decades ago. It still published the daily papers today, but now has a publishing department that releases books and pamphlets for businesses and organizations. Benny Bone was the head of this department and upon entering his office, Fone remembered that he was also Penelope's closest cousin and Benjamin's namesake. Was he invited to the dinner? Would he still be in the office?

 

Apparently he was as he was dressed in a suit and tie when Fone barged in despite the secretary telling him over and over that Benny Bone would not be receiving any visitors this late. He looked up through his fashionable glasses perched on his nose. He was one of those few Bones that could grow head hair like a Bonette and it was slicked back from his face. The hair made him look a bit like Penelope.

 

“Mr. Fone Bone, hi, I was meaning to contact you later or at the party tonight. There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you about your book before we can make some edits.”

 

“There won't be any edits made.” Fone said firmly stepping to the desk and leaning over it. “I want my manuscript back, please, and I'll ask you to forget you ever saw it.”

 

Benny's brows jumped in surprise, but he maintain a calm demeanor. “I don't understand.”

 

“It's a misunderstanding. I don't want to publish my manuscript. I just want it back.”

 

“But when Benjamin . . .”

 

“He gave it to you without my permission or knowledge.” Fone cast a dark look at Benjamin who tried to disappear into the corner. “So I just want it back and we can forget this ever happened.”

 

Benny stared at Fone. Benjamin tried to dig a hole in the floor with the rounded toe of his foot. Fone focused a hard look at Benny. “Um, you're not getting my manuscript.”  


“Because I still don't understand. Your work is nothing short of amazing.” Benny pulled back the chair behind his desk and lowered himself onto it. “Please, have a seat and let's talk about this.”

 

“I fail to see what there is to talk about.” Fone lowered himself into a chair, an eyebrow arched in a long loop. “The manuscript belongs to me and I want it back, therefore you should be handing it over now.”

 

“Yes, true, but I want a chance to change your mind, if I may?” Benny was opening a drawer and withdrew a back of cigarettes. Theses weren’t the thick cigars Smiley fancied, but thin white cigarettes with the image of a Bone in elegant wear on the packet. He offered the pack towards Fone who shook his head and slipped it back into his coat pocket.

 

Fone furrowed his brow. “I won't change my mind, but I'll hear what you have to say.”

 

Benjamin remained standing, unsure if he should sit or stand and opted to remain the corner like the shamed child that he was.

 

Benny took a short drag on the cigarette and laid his hands out on the desk. “Mr. Fone Bone, being a publisher and editor, I have read a lot of manuscripts in my time. I've seen the works of good writers, okay writers, and from people who I don't believe passed the fourth grade. But your stuff is excellent, superb, and extraordinary. From what I've read, I believe I'm looking at the next Marvin B.B. Bone, the next best Boneville Bestseller.”

 

From the corner of his eye, Fone saw Ben hold out his hands towards Benny, who had just confirmed his promise of a bestseller. Despite his conviction, Fone felt his face turn pink from the flattery. “It's – it's not that good.”

 

“Yes, it is!” Benjamin piped up from the corner. He stepped forward like a dog expected to get kicked, but still made the effort to be friendly. “Everyone will love it! I know they will!”

 

“The detail is tuned to a fine point, the emotions are riveting, and the three dimensional characters are woven together to form a fantastic story with intrigue, conspiracy, magic, romance, and epic scale battle scenes. I can take what you've written and turn it into a trilogy and then it'll have the potential into being picked up for a film trilogy like the Bone of the Rings.”

 

Fone's hands clenched on his knees. Publishing a book of his own had always been a dream of his as far back when he was a little Bone orphan.

 

Sensing that he may have hooked his fish, Benny began reeling him in, “We can make whatever changes you want to make. We can change the names or edit some details. Nothing will be added or taken out without your express permission. We can even change the detail in the end where the hero gets the girl. People love a good romance, especially when the guy wins the girl in the end.”

 

Fone closed his eyes and sighed, “No.”

 

“No, to the change in romance?”

 

“No, I mean no. I want my manuscript back.”

 

* * *

 

When they arrived back at Fone's home, there was lightning in the distance. Fone could smell the rain on the air, it made his nose tingle from the charged heat. He returned the manuscript to library while Benjamin called his parents. Yet, looking at the manuscript now made him feel violated. Not a second had read it after Benjamin and if he agreed to getting it published, then . . .

 

No, it didn't bare thinking about. It was back safe and sound.

 

“Um, Uncle Fone?” Benjamin appeared at the door. “Dad's on the phone and he wants to talk to you.”

 

Fone sighed, “Does he know about . . .”

 

“Yeah . . .I . . .I kinda told him what happened. I shouldn't have, huh?”

 

“No, no, it's fine. I'll talk to him.” Fone rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Just go make some tea. I'll talk to him in my room.”

 

“Sure, Uncle Fone.” Benjamin hesitated at the doorway. “I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.”

 

“Don't worry about it. It's going to be okay.” At least, that was what Fone hoped.

 

When he was in his bedroom and had shut the door, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Thunder rolled from the distant and the house seemed to shudder as if dreading its arrival. Didn't the radio say it was supposed to be a clear night? Well, setting that thought aside, as it was likely to distract him from the inevitable, he picked up the phone. “Phoney?”

 

“Are you tryin' t' ruin my marriage?” the voice on the line growled.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“Are you. Trying. To ruin. My Marriage?” Phoney bit out each word as if he was spitting out something foul. “Penelope is ready to skin you alive and I'll probably help her mount your ass above our fireplace!”

 

“Phoney, I'm sorry. Something came up . . .”

 

“There I was,” Phoney cut in, “making a toast, a toast I've been practicing for weeks, about the life I built with my wonderful wife. I was going to bring up the changes we made to Boneville together, the charities we ran, and the employment opportunities we created, but the one thing we were most proud of was the son we had together and then I would raise a glass to Benjamin who was _not_ sitting at his place at our table! I was toasting an empty seat all because of your damn manuscript!”

 

“Phoney, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that Benjamin had taken it . . .”

 

“Why were you writing that nonsense for in the first place!?” Phoney barked over the line.

 

“I never meant for anyone to see it. Benjamin just happened to find it one day . . .”

 

“ _Why_ would you want to _write_ about all the hell we went through in that crazy place?”

 

Fone rubbed his eyes, wishing he could hang up, but knowing there would be hell to pay if he did. “I don’t know. I just . . .just can’t it out of my head of everything we went through there. You and Smiley may have been able to leave it behind, but I can’t. Writing about it helped me cope. I swear I never meant for it to get out in public. I would never do that.”

 

“And you dragged my son into it,” Phoney’s voice was full of venom. “My son of whom I want kept as far away from what happened as possible and you just give him a story book about it.”

 

Fone gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you hear me? I didn’t mean for him to read it . . .”

 

“Why write it if you didn’t want someone to read it?” Phoney, who could never grasp the concept of doing something just for the sake of doing it without any gain. “I bet you meant for Benjamin to read it. I think you secretly want to publish it so all of Boneville can laugh at us and maybe run us out of town again. Who knows? Maybe we’ll wound back up in that damn Valley again . . .”

 

“Fine! Yes! I want us run out of town again! Why not? Let’s let everyone find out about all the crummy things you did there!” Fone’s own anger rose to meet Phoney's. “Is that what you want? For everyone to see all the rotten things you tried to pull in the Valley? How you cheated the townspeople out of their possessions and ruined the Cow Race and festival? How you almost got the Great Red Dragon killed because you fear mongered the townspeople so you can win Lucius's bar and take over? Oh, and let's not forget how you dragged me all over Atheia to steal their treasure? And while Thorn and I were struggling to stop the Lord of Locust you were trying to smuggle that treasure out of the city! Let all of Boneville remember how you were! How you got us ran out of Boneville because being the richest Bone wasn't enough! You had to be the most powerful! And at no big surprise, marrying the love of your life and having a son with her wasn't enough either! You have to lord it over Smiley and me! Smiley who still lives in a dump and me! Me! I . . .I . . .”

 

The anger drained out of him at the shock of what he was going to say. The words that nearly left his mouth.

 

_I don't have Thorn._

 

Did the pain still run that deep? Of course it was. It had always been around him and everyone could see it. Smiley, Phoney, and now even Benjamin and Benny. To change the ending, to make it where he and Thorn were together . . .that had been too tempting . . .

 

There was silence on the other end save for Phoney's ragged breathing. Fone closed his eyes and waited. And waited some more. Just as he was about to speak, to fill the void, to apologize, Phoney began.

 

“Did I not offer both you and Smiley jobs? Eh? Did I not offer you position as a partners or CEOs of my companies?”

 

“Yes, Phoney, but . . .”

 

“But you turned it down. Smiley turned it down. Smiley, I can understand, he's always been a bit of a free spirit and loves living in that dump with that rat creature. Smiley was Smiley before we went into that hellhole and he stayed Smiley when we came back. I'm hoping that one day my cousin Fone will come back from there too.”

 

“I don't . . .”

 

“No, shut up, I'm talkin'. You spoke, now I'm speakin'.” Phone growled over the line. “Ever since you got back from there, you've moped. You keep obsessing over that place through that damn book and with Smiley. You don't date because you are still hung up on a girl who cared nothing for you and drag you into her problems and almost got you killed hundreds of times! You act as if you wish you were back there! You're mad at me because I begged you to come back to Boneville with us! And you're jealous because I fell in love with a Bonette that loves me back. You’re jealous because that’s something you could never have with Thorn.”

 

He wanted to shout that no, he wasn't jealous. That he was never jealous of Phoney, but was that true? Whenever he saw them together there had been a twinge in his heart and he thought of Thorn. He had become so accustomed to thinking her so often that he thought nothing of it.

 

He sat on the edge of the bed and hanged his head, “I . . . don't know what to say, Phoney. I'm sorry.”

 

“Then don't be sorry and don't say anything! Do something! Burn that manuscript and go out with Lindsey Bone. Do _something_ with your life instead of moping about the past!”

 

Fone closed his eyes and felt as if he had been filled to bursting with too much emotion. Was his feelings for Thorn and the Valley really tearing a rift between him and his cousin? Granted, he and Phoney often disagreed and fought, but they had always been close until recently when Phoney married and had Benjamin. And when was the last time they had such a scathing row?

 

“I’m sorry, Phoney. I . . . should have told you about the manuscript. Please, don’t think I would do anything to hurt you or Benjamin. I love that kid as if he were my own and I love you as close as my own brother. I’ll burn the manuscript in the morning so don’t worry about it getting published.”

 

“Get Smiley to help you. Remember, he and Bartleby are volunteer fire fighters.”

 

“Yeah, I may do that. Um, do you want me to take Benjamin home? I can hear thunder and I don't want him to get caught in the rain.”

 

“Nah, he can stay there the night. Penelope and I want some time together alone anyway. And I'll have a talk with him tomorrow about what happened.”

 

Fone bid Phoney good night, but before he hung up he heard a second click on the line. Oh dear, Benjamin.

 

He went into the kitchen where he kept the second phone. Benjamin was innocently eating the rest of the Phoney Bites. Fone quietly went to the fridge and took out the milk and collected two glasses which he set on the table and filled. He offered one to Benjamin who silently accepted it and took a long drink.

 

Fone took a share of the Phone Bites. They were a bit stale, but still good. “It's not your fault your father and I fought.”

 

“Yes, it was.” Benjamin muttered.

 

“No, it . . .it's my fault. I've been . . . I've been a lousy cousin and a lousy uncle and a lousy Bone. I've been hung up on the past for too long. It's time for me to finally let it all go.”

 

“By burning the manuscript?” Benjamin looked up sullenly. “You can't . . .”

 

“I've been using it as a means to hold onto the past. And I can't move forward when I'm using it as a means to go back to the Valley, even if its only in my head.”

 

“Well, I don't think you should. It means so much to you.”

 

“Yeah, it means a lot. It means so much to me that it's all I hold onto,” Fone said dryly. “It means so much that I'm holding onto a memory of a girl who never loved me back while I ignore and hurt Bonettes. And . . . it made me jealous of my own cousin's happiness and hurt my relationship with him.”

 

Thunder rippled around them as the storm drew close. Benjamin was quiet staring at his empty plate and half glass of milk. “I shouldn't have stolen your manuscript.”

 

“It's alright. I take it you already heard that you'll spend the night here.”

 

“Yeah. Mom's going to ground me tomorrow.”

 

“Phoney will probably smooth things over with her by the time you get home.”

 

* * *

 

The storm hit an hour later. Fone usually found the dull roar of heavy rain a sleeping aid, but not tonight. His mind was racing and he couldn't get it to slow down. He turned on the couch one way and then turned the other way, trying to get comfortable, but anxiety was chewing at him. Alright, a warm glass of milk was on order. He got up, collecting his glasses from the coffee table and tiptoed into the kitchen. He could hear the distant snores of Benjamin from the bedroom.

 

Just as he opened the fridge, he remembered that they had finished off the milk earlier. The milk Bone was due to make a delivery on Saturday anyway. Oh, well, he'll have to get to sleep on his own then.

 

Usually when he couldn't sleep he'd work on his manuscript, but he had already committed to burning it in the morning. The enormity of it finally took its toll on him. He sank into the arm chair and rubbed his eyes, tired, but unable to rest. Could he really destroy something that had been his only link to Thorn over the years? Was it possible to just let it go? Talking about it was easier than actually doing it by far.

 

Rain pelted the windows and a sudden streak of lightning illuminated the street outside. Wow, this was different from the clear night the radio weather report told. He stood at the window with his nose against the glass and looked through the drizzle. Was it his imagination or did just for a second someone was out there? Out there in this weather?

 

He stared, but saw only rain on the window and blackness. He stepped back and rubbed his eyes. Maybe it was time for another visit to the eye doctor. He was past due for his yearly exam.

 

Then there was the knocking at the door. It wasn't frantic pounding of someone desperate to get out of the rain. It was tentative, even polite as if the person on the other side didn't want to disturb him. He trotted to the door and opened.

 

The figuring standing there was taller than any Bone. It wore a travel worn clock from the shoulder to the booted feet. The hood was long, draped forward over the head, hiding the face. Fone stared, recognizing the way the hood was worn the way the Veni-Yan to focus into the Dreaming.

 

He breathed deep, unable to speak, as the hood was drawn back.

 

Long, long hair flowed freeing from the hood's confines and she stared down at the same friendly blue eyes from when she was a girl at the hot spring.

 

“Thorn.”

 

She smiled, “Hello, Fone Bone. It's been a while, hasn't it?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“How did you find me?”

Thorn took two fingers and press them to her brow next to her nose and smiled at him.

Of course. Thorn was a Veni-Yan-Cari. She could find him in the heaviest blizzard on a moonless night blindfolded.

Thorn had changed very little over the years. When he last saw her, she had been a teenage girl on her way to womanhood and here she was now, a woman. Her eyes were the same lovely shade of sky blue that carried a calmness that had come with age and her hair was longer than he remember, hanging to her waist in a fall of cherry blonde hair. Even though the chair was scaled to a Bone's size, she sat upon it as if it were a throne. Her long legs stretched out before and with the ankles crossing. Her wet cloak was hanging from the coat hanger with water still dripping from it, creating a small puddle on the floor.

Fone kept watching her from the kitchen from where he was making tea. He feared that if he looked away too long, she'll disappear and it would all be some insanity in his head. Yep, she was still there, giving his telephone a puzzled look before picking it up quizzically. His hands shook as he took the cups from the cupboard and they rattled on the saucers as he set them down. He had no milk, but there was creamer. No honey! Thorn loved honey in her tea. The stores were closed and it was still storming outside. He caught his reflection in the kitchen window and he looked bewildered. His glasses were askew on his nose, his eyebrows kept wavering, and his nightshirt was wrinkled . . . his nightshirt! He was still in his nightshirt! 

He whipped it off and hurried into the laundry room for another shirt. Then he paused. Back in those days he had went without clothes. When he got his job as a teacher, he wore clothes as it made him more professional and it became a habit. It felt strange to be bare again, but he decided he wanted Thorn to see him as she remembered him. He tossed the nightshirt in the laundry room and went into the kitchen just as the kettle began to squeal.

Thorn smiled when he came in with the tray laden with a teapot and cups. That smile made his heart skip a beat and a small heart floated from the back of his head and politely stayed out of sight in the kitchen.

“You didn't have to make tea,” Thorn said as he set the tray on the coffee table. She laid the phone down and sat up, tucking her legs against the short seat. 

“You just came in out of the rain. You need something warm.” He hoped his shaking hands weren't too apparent when he poured tea. “I could throw your cloak in the dryer?”

Thorn raised her arched brows. “A dryer?”

“Oh, it's a machine that dries clothes with hot air.” Fone explained, momentarily forgetting that Thorn came from a culture that hadn't developed technological conveniences such as washing machines or dryers. She probably didn't know what the telephone or coffee maker were. 

Thorn shook her head, “I don't want to be an inconvenience for you. I just want us to talk. Catch up, you know?”

“Well, um, sure, we should talk it's been . . . a while.”

“Years.” Thorn agreed picking up her tea cup and inhaling the scent. “Is this rose tea?”

“Um, yeah, but there were no roses involved. It's just an artificial scent and taste.” Fone admitted as he picked up his own teacup. “So . . .um, how do we start?”

“Well, since I'm curious to know you and your cousins have been doing, you should go first.”

“Oh um, okay. Well . . . Phoney's married.”

Thorn's eyebrows arched in genuine surprised. “Really? Who is the 'lucky' girl?” He could hear the inquisition in her wondering what woman would dare take on Phoney Bone as a husband. 

“Penelope Bone. Don't worry, she has him on a leash and keeps him out of trouble.” Fone assured her, “They even have kid together. Benjamin Bone.”

Oh! Oh no! Benjamin was still here sleeping in the bedroom. If he were to wake up and see Thorn! Fone wanted to keep Thorn for himself for now. They had so much to catch up and there was something bothering him. 

“And Smiley?” Thorn inquired taking a sip of her tea. She wrinkled her nose at the taste, but maintained a steady expression. 

“He and Bartleby are living together in a garage they run together. They're both happy and well.” Fone held his tea with both hands, the cup warming his palms. 

“And you?” 

Fone looked up taken aback by her sudden inquiry. “Me?”

“Yes, you. What have you been doing? This is a nice house. Is there a Mrs . . .” 

Fone blushed, “No! I . . . no, it's just me living here. I teach literature at the school and help out at the library.” 

A small smile touched her lips, “That makes sense. You loved books so it makes sense you made your life around them.”

I loved you and I made my life all about you. But that was something Fone could never, ever say to her. “Yeah, um . . .how is Gran'ma Ben?”

“Well, she's retired from the Cow Races due to an ache in her back, but she's doing well in Atheia helping me rule.”

“And the Great Red Dragon?” 

“Still aloof, but there when I need him.” Thorn drank more of her tea and set the cup down. 

“And you?”

Thorn gave him a small sad smile. “Fone, I need your help.”

Fone blinked and realized what it was that was bothering him. He had the feeling that this was no social call. “What's wrong Thorn?”

Before Thorn could speak, the bedroom door swung open and feet padded down the hall. Fone swung his head around to see Benjamin walking stiff legged of someone who was still half asleep. He looked at them through sleep clouded eyes and waved. “Morning, Uncle Fone. Hi, tall lady.”

Thorn stared, but gave him a small wave back while Fone sweated bullets. Benjamin went into the bathroom and a few minutes later they heard the toilet flushing and he came back out and walked stiff legged back to the bedroom without another word. 

Fone wiped away the collected sweat on his brow and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that kid! He'll think he had a dream.” He noticed Thorn giving him a questioning look. “That was Benjamin, Phoney's son.”

“He looks little like Phoney.”

“Really? Everyone says he got his mother's looks and her common sense.” He remembered Thorn's earlier words. “You said you needed my help.”

“I do, but it'll take too long to explain everything tonight,” Thorn set the teacup down and rose to her feet. “I’ll come back tomorrow night and tell you everything.”

“Thorn, wait, you can at least tell me how you need my help.” Fone rose to his feet also and followed her to the door.

Thorn collected her cloak. “For me to tell you, there’s so much I would have to explain and a lot of it has to do with things that happened back then.”

“Where are you going? You can stay here for the night.”

“I have a small camp in the wooded area at the edge of the city,” Thorn gave him a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry. Remember how we lived out in the woods with Smiley when the Hooded One attacked the Valley?” Thorn had been the one providing for them. She knew where to find water and food in the forest and could build fires without matches.

“There’s a lot of campers this time of year,” he warned.

Again, Thorn smiled, “I know how to keep from being seen. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Fone.”

Then she was gone. 

* * * 

For nearly an hour after she left, he paced the floor fretting and wringing his hands. There was no way he was sleeping tonight. His nerves were on edge and he was jittery with pent up energy as if he could run ten miles right then. Thorn needed him and had come across the desert for his aid. But what was happening? What was wrong? And it was no simple thing as she felt she needed time to talk to him, to explain things proper. Yet his mind race. Was it the Lord of Locusts? Has it come back? Was Atheia in trouble with the Rat Creatures or Pawa again? Was there some new danger on the horizon? What could it be!?

Before he knew it, the storm had passed and morning light was beaming through the windows. He was making another circuit past the coffee table when Benjamin walked groggily into the living room rubbing his eyes with hi glasses in hand. “Morning, Uncle Fone, I had a weird dream. I saw you hanging with this tall lady.” 

Fone hesitated for only a moment, “Yeah, that’s a pretty strange dream.” Right now, he wanted to keep Thorn's arrival a private matter, but he knew he had to talk about it with someone. 

“Gee, Uncle Fone, you don't look so good.” 

“I got to go. I know I said I would drive you home, but something came up.”

Benjamin looked at him bewildered. “Something came up? In the middle of the night?”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, but can you walk home?”

“Sure, I can, but what about burning the manuscript.”

Fone paused. To think that hours ago the manuscript had been the most important thing in his world. “I'll worry about that later.”

With that, he grabbed his car keys and jacket and left.

* * * 

There was only one person he could talk to who would listen or even be gladden by the news. 

The overnight storm made the morning cool and wet. He tread through the uncut grass and stepped his way around the puddles through the garage yard. The screen door rattled when he rapped it with one hand. Then he rapped it again. And a third time.

Just as he was going for a fourth, the door threw open and he was nearly toppled backward into a puddle. Smiley stood in the doorway with a cheery smile and a mug of coffee in hand. “Hi-ho, cousin! Just needed t' get some coffee in my system, but I'm good to go for the day now. You missed the dinner last night.”

“Yeah, well, something came up.” Fone didn’t like being reminded of his exchange with Phoney. 

Smiley stepped aside and let Fone in. “Phoney was mad.”

“He called and told me.” Fone could see Smiley's crinkle suit hanging over a chair. “Where's Bartleby?”

“He's in the back asleep. He just turned in an hour ago.” Being a rat creature, Bartleby was nocturnal and got through the day by sleeping in late and small naps. 

“I need to talk to you.” 

“Sure, jut let me get ya a cuppa coffee and we can chat. Is it about the manuscript?”

Fone grimaced, “How do you know?”

“Well, word sorta got around at the dinner . . .”

Fone smacked his forehead again, “Oh, great. So that means that all of Boneville knows about it.”

“Aw, don't sweat it.” Smiley chimed. “No one knows the details and pretty soon something else will happen that will take their minds off it.” 

Fone instantly thought of Thorn and gulped. “Smiley, Thorn's in town.”

Smiley's grin falter for only a second, but his eyebrows twitched. “She is? When did she get in?”

“Sometime last night.” Fone was relieved. Anyone else would have asked him if he was certain or if he was dreaming it. If you told Smiley that it was raining spaghetti and meatballs, he would run outside with a plate and a fork in hand. 

“And how's she looking now?' Smiley's gave him a sly grin. 

“Gorgeous as ever.” Fone blurted before he could stop himself. 

“Is she still single?”

Fone's face turned bright red as he flustered, “I don’t know! Listen, she's not here for a social call. Something’s up. She couldn’t tell me what it was last night, but she’s coming back tonight to tell me what’s wrong.”

“Okay.” Smiley limped over to his arm chair. His leg was usually stiff in the mornings and this one was no exception. 

Fone stammered, “O-okay? We got to do something!”

“How can we do something when we don't know what's wrong? And since it's not so urgent that it can't wait, then don't worry about it.” Smiley reclined in his chair, setting the coffee mug on the table nearby. 

“Don't worry about it! This is Thorn we're talking about!”

“Exactly my point.” Smiley held up his coffee as if toasting her. “Thorn knows how to take care of herself and if you recall like I can, she saved our butts plenty of times. Thorn may be the most gorgeous gal you know, but she's the strongest woman I know.”

* * * 

Fone and Smiley spent the morning reminiscing about the year they spent in the Valley. Fone shared lunch with Smiley and Bartleby which consisted of their favorite food, sandwiches. And Bartleby, being calmer around food, joined in their own tales of the Valley. Fone couldn't remember the last time he had talked so long of the Valley. He remembered small details that he hadn't before and learned of other things he hadn't been present for from Smiley. 

“I thought Lucius was going to have a stroke!” Fone laughed. “I never seen anyone's face get so red!”

“But Phoney just kept on and on about zoning permits and fire hazards. I told him that the Valley people don't know a thing about insurance because they don't have insurance.”

“Oh, I am so glad that Lucius nipped that scheme in the bud. The villagers were still mad at him for the Cow Race. They'd have strung him up for sure.”

The phone rang and for some reason Fone had an odd feeling. Smiley stood to answer despite Fone’s offers for getting it instead. He answered it with a friendly, “'elo?” Then Smiley held the receiver away from his ear grimacing, “Whoa, whoa, turn the volume down, Phoney. Yeah, he's here . . .hold on a sec.” He held the phone out for Fone, “It's for you.”

Fone barely held the receiver to his ear before Phoney shouted, “Didn't you tell Benny not to publish!?”

“Yes, of course! I told you I got the manuscript back!” Fone felt a shiver crawl down his spine. “Why?”

“You don’t know!?” Phoney roared. 

“Phoney, talk to me! What don’t I know?” Is it becoming a theme where no one wants to tell him what the problem is?

Phoney took a deep breath which came across strained and ragged on Fone's end. “Penelope kept getting calls from her friends this morning talking about this chapter preview released this morning for your upcoming book. I didn’t know what they were talking about until one of them came by with a copy.” There was a sound of pages being flipped and Phoney read, “Two weeks after my cousin's, Phoncible P. Bone, disastrous announcement for his campaign for mayor, my cousins and I found ourselves in the uncharted part of the desert with little food or water and no idea where we were.” 

If it was possible for a Bone's white face to get any paler, it happened for Fone. Smiley stared at him with concern written on his face. “I . . . I didn’t . . .no, this can’t be happening . . .Phoney, I swear to you I told him not to publish! Ask Ben, he was there! I took back the manuscript!”

“That bastard took the first chapter of your manuscript and made copies. They're everywhere! In newstands, stores, the library, and there's even an article about it in the paper!”

If there was a deep hole for Fone to crawl into, he would have and pulled the earth over him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Smiley mouth 'what's wrong?' at him. “I don't understand. Is this legal? Can he do this?”

“I’m calling my lawyer. I’ll call you back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Fone felt lightheaded and he didn’t so much as hung up as he dropped the phone in the cradle. He leaned against the wall and would have collasped there if Bartleby hadn’t lifted him up and set him on the couch. 

“Fone, what’s wrong? What’s going on with Phoney?” 

And Fone told him in a low monotone. It was like the world was slowing down around him as if it was a distant background. He wanted to be as far away from reality as possible. He didn’t know how long he waited before the phone rang again. Bartleby answered it and then offered it to Fone who took it in a clammy hand. “Phoney?”

“I got my lawyer looking into it, but its sketchy at best. Basically, since my son brought the manuscript to him, he's using that as a form of 'permission.”

Fone was surprised to hear his teeth grind, “I told him I didn't want to publish! I wanted my manuscript back!”

“Which he gave back, but that was after he made copies of the first chapter. My guess is that he originally intended to come out with sample chapters to promote the book. Instead, he's using this as a tactic to pressure you into publishing.”

“But can he do this? Just hand out a part of my book like this?”

“That's the kicker. He's not making any money off this and nor is he taking credit for your work. If he was, then we could sue him and own Boneville Publishing, but that scumbag knows what he's doing. This whole thing will get tangle up in court because he has access to a good lawyer too and by the time it ends we'll end up looking like the bad guys because people are loving your chapter.”

Fone blinked. “People love it?”

“When they couldn't get you at your place, they called up here! They think I published it myself for you!”

“So what do we do?”

“I sent some guys around to collect the samples no one had grabbed yet, but at lot of places it was too late, they were all gone and waiting for more copies. The only thing we can do keep there from being any more copies. And we do that by going down to Boneville Publishing and wringing Benny's neck.”

“Be serious, Phoney.” Fone moaned.

“I am! I'll get a rope and we'll string that sucker up for this! I'm a laughingstock!”

“We're on our way,” Smiley said with a determine slant to his eyes.

Fone could only stare in dumb shock as Smiley took the phone from his hand and hung up. He sank onto the couch which creaked it's sympathy. “This is a dream. A terrible, terrible dream . . .” Then he look at Smiley stricken, “It's all my fault!”

“No, it's not your fault,” Smiley said firmly, but gently. “Put the blame where it lies and that's with Benny. Let's go.”

“You're coming?”

“Of course! Someone did my cousins dirty and I don't sit on the sideline for that.”

* * * 

They took Smiley and Bartleby's old pickup truck as Fone's car was too small for Bartleby to fit in. He road in the back with his fur waving in the wind. The clunker puttered and bounced along the road and more than once Fone expected the engine to fail, but whenever Smiley would pat the dashboard and sweet talk the vehicle, it would growl back to life and putter along. 

“So what's the plan? Smash his windows? Throw paint around his office? Bartleby can put a lot of hair down their drains . . .” Smiley pondered mirthfully.

“Try to take this seriously,” Fone muttered.

“I am taking this seriously,” Smiley said with sincerity. At that moment, the truck choked and jerked nearly dashing Fone head against the glove compartment. “Uh oh, she needs gas.”

“But it's at full!” Fone pointed at the gas meter.

“Oh, the stick is stuck at the full position.”

“How do you know when it needs gas?”

The truck jerked again and Fone was a hair away from getting his brains knocked out. Smiley pointed at the dashboard. “When it does that.”

* * * 

Thankfully, there a gas station down the road, but unfortunately, Smiley's truck didn't have it in her to get that far. So Fone and Smiley stayed in the truck while Bartleby made the trek for gas. Smiley tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to a song on the radio while Fone stared out the window. Yesterday morning, everything had been normal. Now everything was falling apart and it felt like a landslide. No stopping it until it hit the bottom. 

“Will you go back with her?” Smiley’s question startled him.

“What?”

“Go back with Thorn when she goes back to the Valley?” 

“How did that come up? I don't even know why she's here in the first place.”

“Because she'll have to go back. She's the Queen there.” Smiley took a cigar from his vest. “So when she does back will you go with her?”

Fone thought before he answered, “I . . . I don't know. I have dreamed of her coming back into my life so many times before and I even fantasized about going back to the Valley to her, but now that it has happened. I don't know. Or I do know, but can't put it into words yet.” 

“Well, that's honest, I suppose.” Smiley lit his cigar with a match he always had on his person and took a deep drag. “So what will you do if she leaves and you stay?”

“Smiley, I – please, let me deal with one thing at a time. I'm so overwhelmed right now and I want to focus on the manuscript and keep Phoney from killing Benny.”

“Good luck with that.” 

“Yeah, Phoney's pretty mad.”

“Not that. Lindsey standing by your window.”

Fone whipped around to see Lindsey Bone politely standing at the door with a hand raised to knock on the window. She blushed as he rolled down the window, “Hello, Mr. Fone, I didn't mean to intrude, but I wanted to praise you for your book.”

Much to his dismay, she drew a slim volume from her bag. On the cover were the words The Valley in elaborate font and an image of a hot spring. Fone felt his blood pressure rise and he dearly hope it didn't show on his face. He swallowed, “The first chapter covers. . .”

“It starts from when you and your cousins are in the desert and covers your first winter in the Valley . . .and then it ends when you meet Thorn.”

So that was out there now. He sank into the seat feeling like rocks had been dropped into his belly. Good thing he didn't eat anything yet or he would be throwing up right now. 

“Um,” Smiley opened the door. “I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit. Don't mind me.”

The door shut behind him, leaving Fone alone with Lindsey who was holding the book to her chest like a shield. Fone stared despondently through the front window, feeling the pounding of is own heart. His worst nightmare had happened. His feelings for Thorn, the deepest and most personal emotions had been laid out in black and white text for all of Boneville to read. 

He needed to focus on something else and he remembered what he had done to Lindsey yesterday. At least he can make that one thing right. “Lindsey, I wanted to apologize for how I treated you yesterday. You didn't deserve that.”

“It's alright, Mr. Fone. I – uh, I had the sense that my interest wasn't welcomed, but I pursued anyway. Now I know why. You’ve had someone else in your heart.”

Fone felt his face going red. “I . . . the book is very personal . . .”

“It's the way you described her. When I read the hot spring scene, I could feel the outpouring of love you felt for her, and still feel for her. I wish that someday someone will feel the same for me.” 

Fone looked at Lindsey and realized she was a very pretty Bonette with a sweet personality. And she was here, wanting him. So why can't he fall for her? Why can't he forget Thorn and fall in love with Lindsey instead? He stared at her and wished hard as hell that he could fall in love with her, but his feelings wouldn't change as if they were set in stone.

“Someone will, Lindsey. You're a great Bonette. You're kind, beautiful, and a talented florist. You're going to find a great guy who's going to fall head over heels for you. I know it.”

Lindsey smiled, “Thank you, Mr. Fone. That means a lot coming from you. And I can't wait to read the rest of your story.”

Fone swallowed, hesitated, but forged forward. “Do you believe its true?”

She tilted her head quizzically, “Of course. I always believed that you and your cousins found another land. You three couldn't have survived for so long in the desert. I wasn't too certain about the details, at least not until I read your chapter. You write as if you truly lived it so how can I disbelieve you after reading it.”

Fone looked down the road and saw Bartleby walking up the street with a gas hand in hand. “Lindsey, thank you for speaking with me. You . . . you really helped me out. I was having a hard time getting my thoughts together, but now I can focus better. Thanks.”

“No, the pleasure was mine. I'll see you later, Mr. Fone, I have to go open the shop.” 

* * * 

Once the truck was fueled, they continued on their way. Though Smiley wasn't present for their conversation, he was curious of it nonetheless. “So, Lindsey . . .nice Bonette.”

“She is,” Fone replied.

“Is she going to be alright?”

“Yes, she's going to be fine.”

“Good.” Smiley accepted and let that topic go. “So, are we going to tell Phoney about Thorn?”

Fone sighed, “I . . .I don't know. I guess we should, but with what's going on with the Benny and the manuscript it might be the thing that gives him a stroke. Look, don't tell him anything, let me. Let me judge the situation and if I think it'll be alright, I'll tell him.”

Phoney's car was already parked in front of Boneville Publishers by the time they arrived. Fone felt his heart rate quicken as he imagined what was happening inside. He hoped Phoney kept his temper long enough for them to get there.

Smiley must have matched Fone's fears as he brought the truck to a quick park, the vehicle protesting with a long screech from the brakes that would have made the hair on Fone's neck stand up, if he had hair. Without any words spoken, the three of them bailed from the truck and went inside and just in time. Bartleby pushed the door opened, Phoney's yells could be heard in the lobby.

“He better make time for me!” Phoney roared into a trembling secretary's face. He was leaning over her desk bringing his bulbous nose inches from hers. “We got something to discuss and by God we are going to discuss it right now!”

Fone saw Benjamin standing in the far corner with his face bright red from embarrassment. Relief flooded his face when he saw his Uncles come into the room. He mouthed, Help!

“Phoney, stop! Calm down before you have a stroke!” Fone and Smiley both grabbed him by the arms and hauled his away from the desk. 

Phoney's cheeks were a furious shade of red and his uni-brow was narrowed into a sharp V. “She says that Benny requested no meetings until you showed up.”

“Well, I'm here now.” Fone said to the secretary. “May we see him?”

“Um, he wanted to see just you.” The secretary was dabbing at her sweaty face with a tissue. She was an older Bonette with graying hair tied back into a bun. A few strands were clinging to her sweltering brow. 

Fone crossed his arms, “Sorry, but we're all going in together or I'll just leave.”

The secretary looked too tired to argue, “I'll go ask him. Please, wait a moment.” She got to her feet and hurried to the back room, likely wanting to depart from Phoney's company as soon as possible. 

Fone turned to Phoney who was calming down, for now. “You should have waited.”

“And you should have hurried,” he retorted. 

“We had to get gas.” Smiley offered cheerfully lighting up a cigar despite the no smoking sign face level behind him. 

“And why'd ya bring him?” Phoney hitched a thumb at Bartleby.

“And why did you bring him?” Smiley smoothly countered, pointing at Benjamin.

“My son caused this mess.” 

“And Bartleby didn't, but wants to show his support by being here.”

Phone glowered and muttered, “Fine.”

The secretary cautiously open the door as if the five of them were going to charge at once. Her eye was especially on Bartleby who filled the hall with his broad frame. “You may see him now.” 

Fone spoke from the corner of his mouth as all of them marched past her into the office, “Phoney, let cooler heads prevail.”

“Good idea. We can stick his head in a bucket of ice water until he agree to our terms.” 

“No! That's not what I mean – just let me do the talking.” 

Benny was sitting behind his desk with his hands folded on the desktop, looking reposed and calmed, but Fone couldn't help the satisfaction of the arching of his brows of the sight of Bartleby. “Mr. Fone, I was expecting you.”

“Yeah, I bet you were.” Fone said evenly. “You know why I'm here so let's cut to the chase. I want you to hand over every copy of my manuscript that you have and your word that you'll print and distribute no more of it.”

Benny gave him a smile. It was the sort of smile that a mother gives to a stubborn little Bone who refused to finish his vegetables. It was a 'I love you sweety, but yes are going to sit at this table until your plate is clean' sort of smile. “You must read the feedback we've been receiving from your chapter. We already have letters praising your work and wanting, no, demanding the next chapter.”

Fone knocked the desktop with a fist, “I told you last night that I did not want to publish and despite that, you deliberately printed part of my manuscript without my permission and handed them out to pressure me into agreeing to publish.”

“Mr. Fone, perhaps if you would read some of these . . .” Benny indicated a small bin full of letters. “and there are more of these in the back. There has even been some reviews.”

Fone blinked. “Already?”

Benny grinned and pushed an envelope with folds of freshly typed pages. Fone swallowed when he read the name: Wentworth T. Bone, the scholar of Boneville and fame book critic. He hated books and novels that Fone had thought was decent. He didn't want to read it, so afraid of the scathing remarks that could be contained in those pages. But the grin from Benny reassured him more than he would have admitted. He opened the envelope and took out the sheets and unfolded them.

I am not writing this to go over the scandal of Phoncible P. Bone's disastrous announcement for his mayoral campaign, nor to reignite the controversy of the Bone Cousins' story of a Valley. Whether the events in this work is true or not are up to other Bones to decide.

I do not usually review incomplete works, but after much prodding from my wife and daughter I gave the volume a read not expecting much, yet, I was pleasantly surprised. If the first chapter is anything to go on, then we are in a for treat once the rest of work is available. 

Fone Bone's description of the fantastical Valley is elegant. I could feel the heat of the desert and the chill of the wintry Valley. I experienced the desperation of Fone's climb through the mountains in the hope of finding his cousins and the kindness of Mrs. Possum who took pity on Fone and aided him through the winter. I was exhilarated by the chase scene and the desperate bid to save the Possum children. But the gem of this chapter will be the ending, where I, through Fone's art for words and detail, fell in love with the girl, Thorn.

The scene played out like a fairy tale of puppy love, but there was a maturity there, a deeper scale of love that had me examining my relationship with my wife and made me realize my own deeper feelings for her. I have never read a piece that made me examine myself in retrospect after reading. 

There are a few very, and I must stress, very minor, flaws in the writing technique, but they are minuscule compared to the overall narrative. I, and I am certain, many other Bones are eagerly anticipating the rest of the novel.

Fone blinked several times. The papers were quivering in his hands, but then they were held steady by Phoney who was reading over his shoulder. Fone handed the sheets to Phoney who took them, reading silently with his lips moving. Even Smiley was squinting at the words over his head. 

Fone took a breath and slowly let it out. “Benny, I'm flattered by all the attention, I really am. But I haven't changed my mind about this. I still want you to withdraw all those copies and stop making them.”

Benny sighed, “No.”

Phoney looked up from the review and Smiley switched his cigar around to the other corner of his mouth as he did before he put up his dukes. Fone placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward, “Excuse me?”

“I refuse your request.”

Fone leaned closer, almost bringing his nose to Benny's. “It wasn't a request. As the owner and writer of the manuscript, I am telling you to stop making copies and distributing them. It's illegal.”

Behind him, Phoney groaned. Fone had the sinking feeling that he had stepped into a trap. Benny grinned, it wasn't an open honest grin like Smiley's or a greedy, toothy grin like Phoney's, but a sly smirk that rankled Fone. “It's not illegal at all. You see, I received the manuscript via your cousin's son, your 'nephew' so to speak and he gave me verbal permission to print. When you came in last night, you only told me not to publish. Which I haven't.” He held up a hand to halt any outburst. “I haven't published because to publish I would have to be asking for money, as you can see the copies have been handed out for free. And you have been given full credit as you can see under the title page. I have done nothing illegal.”

Fone turned to Phoney who grimly nodded, “He's right. According to my lawyers he hadn't done anything we can sue him for. He smart enough to find the loopholes and use ‘em.” Phoney scowled at Benny who only looked as peaceful as a saint. 

Fone stepped back from the desk feeling helpless and angry. He wanted to reach over the desk and punch Benny's damn grin off his face. He clutched his hands at his sides and shook with fury. How dare this bastard do this? It was like he was stealing from him, taking something precious, a piece of him, and using for profits. Was this it? There was nothing they could do? 

Behind him, he heard Phoney speaking. “Son, did you sign anything when you handed him the manuscript. Think carefully, did you sign anything?”

Benjamin shook his head, “No, sir.”

Phoney turned to Fone, “Did you?”

“No, I did not,” Fone responded firmly with a quizzical quirk to his eyebrows. 

“Good. So you aren't committed to publishing through him.” Phoney's face spread out into that greedy leer Fone and Smiley remembered from years ago. 

Fone caught an inkling of what Phoney was planning by the way Benny's face fell. “I'm sorry, but what are you . . .?”

Phone leered at Benny's taking grim satisfaction at his reaction. “We don't need you to stop handing out copies. In fact, I want you to. Because I am going to be the one who publishes Fone's book.”

The silence in the office could have been cut with a knife. Benny was a sickly pallor, Fone and Smiley were staring with their jaws open, and Benjamin was staring at his father glowing with pride. 

“You – you can't do that!” Benny's voice sounded strangled. Through his shock, Fone was happy to see Benny finally unnerved. He had overplayed his hand and he knew it. 

“Yes, I can. My cousin didn't sign any papers saying he had to publish through Boneville Publishers. I have the money to open my own publishing house and Fone's book will be our premiering novel. So thanks for the free publicity, Benny Bone.” Then he looked into Benny's eyes and said coolly, “I knew there was a reason why I never liked you. You remind me of how I used to be.”

With that, Phoney spun on his heel and walked out and taking it as a cue, the rest of them walked out behind him. Fone didn't look back, but he was sure he heard Benny curse foully behind them.

* * * 

“That was AWESOME!” Once they were outside, Benjamin began jumping into the air pumping his fists into the air. “Dad! You rocked in there!”

The others reaction was more subdued. Fone spoke softly into Phoney's ear, “Can . . .do you really . . . really want to publish my book?”

“No, I don't.” Phoney said regretfully, but determined. “But I ain't gonna let that scumbag get one over on my cousin. So if it comes to publishing your book, so be it.”

“But what about . . . that other stuff?” 

Phoney's face sagged for a moment, but then strengthen into a reassuring grin. “It won't be a picnic to be sure, but hopefully the Bones aren't going to forget everything I've done for them when they remembered what I did to them.”

Fone stared at Phoney, barely recognizing him as the scheming, greedy Bone from their childhood. Oh, that greedy Bone was still there, but family and love had tempered him into someone with a sense of honor and duty. 

Fone placed his hand on Phoney's shoulder, “We need to talk. Somewhere private.”

“I know you don't want to . . .” He noticed the serious glint in Fone's eyes. “What is it?”

Fone glanced at Benjamin who was talking animatedly with Bartleby and Smiley. Then he leaned in close, “Thorn's in Boneville.”

“WHAT!!!!!!!!!”

* * * 

It was all Fone could do to keep Phoney from shouting on the street. After sending Benjamin home, he and Smiley loaded into the truck to talk in private while Bartleby kept watch. Phoney sat between them with a stormy gaze. “Are you serious? Are you joking with me?”

Smiley, being ever cheery whenever Phoney was troubled, said, “We'll find out tonight when Thorn visits him again.”

Phoney groaned, “She's coming back!? Why?”

Before Fone could stop him, Smiley said, “She needs his help.”

“Oh! That's what it is!” Phoney shouted in the cramped truck cab making their ears ring. “She's here to drag us into her problems again! Don't you remember how many times we almost died because of her, her cracked grandmother, those wiseguy dragons, the stupid rat creatures, the creepy Hooded One, the blasted Ghost Circles, the crazy villagers, the damn Vedu, and the crazy winter weather! Fone, you tell her to go home! You tell her we want none of whatever she's bringing to Boneville!”

Fone fixed him a stony gaze, “I'm not asking her to leave until I know why she came in the first place. She came to me because she needs my help.”

“Lemme guess,” Phoney placed his fingers to his temples and mockingly concentrated telepathy “She showed up and batted big her blue eyes and crooked her finger and you're falling all over yourself to make her happy. Yep, sounds familiar to me. Just like back then. She had you wrapped around her finger and you kept following her into danger.”

“And you forget that she saved our lives countless times!” Fone rounded on him. “If it wasn't for her, I'd still be lost in the Valley living in the woods. Heck, we'd still be lost in the Valley if she hadn't brought us together. And some of the danger we got in was because of your scheming and tricks.”

“Hey! I was trying to get us out of the Valley since day one!” Phoney shoved a finger at Fone. “You kept coming up with excuse after excuse of why we should stay and most of them have to do with Thorn! When is she coming? Tonight? Good, I want to be there so I can tell her to go home to her face!”

“No, you're not,” Fone replied, his voice chilly. “She came to me. She needs my help. So it's just going to be me and her tonight . . .”

“I want to see her too, Fone.” Smiley interrupted. Before Fone could speak, he said firmly, “She's our friend too and I want to hear what she has to say. If she's in trouble, I want to help her too if I can.”

Fone wanted to protest, to blurt out that it only concerned himself and Thorn, but realized how selfish that sounded. Smiley and Phoney (despite what he said) had a close connection to the Valley and Thorn represented that. Who was he to keep them from seeing her again? Thorn had an impact on all their lives. 

“Fine, but I'm warning you, Phoney, you're going to be polite to her when she comes. I'm not letting you run her off before we had a chance to talk.”

Phoney snorted until Fone's eyes harden, then he threw up his hands, “Fine! I'll hear her out, but if she says something I don't like . . .”

* * * 

Phoney took his car while Smiley and Fone dropped Bartleby off by the garage. There was work to be done and he wanted to get a head start on it, but Fone believed because Thorn made him nervous as any mention of the Valley made him uncomfortable. They stopped by to get groceries for dinner and met Phoney at Fone’s house. Phoney, grumbling and muttering under his breath began cooking dinner. Fone let him as Phoney was good at cooking and it helped keep him calm. Fone cleaned his house while Smiley watched television. He needed something of normalcy to ease his anxiety. The resolution of the manuscript still bowl him over whenever he thought of it, but that was finally secondary compared to what was going to happen tonight.

He vacuum, dusted, wiped, straighten, mopped, and waxed until he collapsed next to Smiley exhausted with all his pent up energy gone. Smiley waggled his brows, “Expecting her to move in?”

“No, of course not.” Fone moaned setting his feet on the coffee table. “I just . . .needed to do something or I'm going to go crazy.” 

“Don’t worry. Thorn is used to living rough, remember?”

“Yeah, but since we left, she’s been a queen with a castle and servants and stuff. My house must seem like a hovel to her.” 

“What? You forgot the house she lived in with Gran’ma Ben?” Smiley teased. “What time is she coming?”

“I don't know. It was after midnight when she came last night, so I'm assuming it's going to be same this time.”

There was a knock at the door that had Fone jumping off the couch. Both he and Smiley crane their heads towards the door. There was another persistent knock.

“Is it her?” Smiley whispered.

“I . . . I don't know.” Fone got to his feet and hurried to the door just as Phoney was poking his head from the kitchen. He noticed his hand was sweaty when he turned the door knob and opened the door. “Benjamin?”

Benjamin stood on the welcome back looking nervous, but defiant. “Something is going on and I want to know what it is.”

“Benjamin! Go home!” Phoney strolled out of the kitchen wearing an apron and taking off an oven mitt. “You're mother is probably wondering where you are.”

“No, she isn't. I told her I was spending the night here with you and Uncle Fone.”

Phoney scowled, “Then I'm calling her to tell her that you're heading home.”

“Go ahead, then she's going to want to know what's so secret that I can't hang around.” Benjamin crossed his arms, not budging from the doorstep.

Fone said gently, but quickly as Phoney was beginning to turn red, “What makes you think something is going on?”

“This morning you were pale. Paler than usual,” Benjamin quickly amended. “Like you seen a ghost and you ran out of the house to see Smiley.” Before Fone could inquire he said, “I know because that's where dad called and found you when he was looking for you about the manuscript. Then outside Boneville Publishers, you whispered something to dad and he went all red in the face and angry like he swallowed a rotten pickle while Smiley looked all happy like he does when dad's upset about something he's happy about. Then all three of you are spending the night together, something you haven't done since before I was born! So what's going on?”

Fone wracked his brain and said, “We're discussing my book . . .”

“Bull!” Benjamin shoved at finger at Fone, much in the same way as his father. 

“Benjamin . . .” Phoney warned through gritted teeth. 

“Dad . . .” Benjamin replied in the same tone.

“Aw, just let 'im stay,” Smiley said in his usual glee. “We can make it a family legacy.”

“I don't want him involved.” Phoney snared.

“Involved in what?” Benjamin pounced.

Before Fone or Phony could stop him, Smiley beamed at Benjamin and said, “Thorn is coming to visit Fone tonight.”

Benjamin's jaw dropped, Fone smacked his forehead, and Phoney exploded. “SMILEY!!!!”

* * * 

Everyone ate dinner in different moods. Phoney was chomping on his food as if he was imagining biting Smiley's fingers, Fone was picking at his food between small bites, Smiley was eating his usual way by scarfing down the food before it had a chance to run away. Benjamin couldn't eat because he was too busy asking questions.

“How tall is she? Is her hair still cherry blonde? What was she wearing? Is she bringing a dragon?”

For each question, Fone answered what he knew and stated he didn't know for the rest. His eyes kept glancing to the clock. It was hours before Thorn would come and he was almost as giddy as Benjamin, but more nervous, almost afraid. 

Phoney set his fork on his plate and said, “Benjamin, you may stay.” The rest of them looked at Phoney. Fone had assumed it had already been decided that Benjamin was staying as soon he learned about Thorn. “But tonight, you are staying in Fone's bedroom until we determine why Thorn is here.”

Benjamin's eyes widen and he exploded, “No way! I'm staying! I want to talk to her! I have so many questions! You can't banish me to the bedroom!

“Son,” Phoney began, his voice heavy with paternal firmness. “you have this idea of Thorn from Fone's stories of her being some fantastical magical princess who saves the day, but I can see her without the rose-red heart shape glasses your uncle wears around her. She's dangerous. She sucked us into her problems in the Valley and she's come here to do it again in Boneville and I want you as far away from that danger as possible. I may not be able to make you leave the house, but I can make you stay in the bedroom until I'm certain she's safe to be around. Do. I make. Myself. Clear?” He looked around the table at each of them.

Benjamin was staring at Fone and Smiley with pleading eyes. Fone looked down at his plate and as much as he wished to denounce Phoney's claim of Thorn being dangerous, he knew that Thorn wouldn't have come so far for no reason and the potential for danger was there. And Benjamin was Phoney's son and to go against him in front of Benjamin would be crossing a familial line. “I'm sorry, Benjamin, but I'm going to side with your dad about this. Until we know why she's come, I think it's best you stay in the bedroom. She might not want to share what's going on with too many people.”

Benjamin turned his eyes to his last hope. Smiley was rubbing his chin with his cigar in one hand. “They have a point. Thorn's a great gal, no mistaking that, but we did get put through the ringer a couple of times. Not that I'm blaming her, mind you, she was in as much danger as us those times and she was the one that got us out of 'em, but let's just go with your pops on this one, kay?”

Benjamin looked at all of them, his face turning redder and redder until he threw down his fork on his untouched food. “I'm not a kid! I can't believe this! Someone from the Valley, someone who can prove it's real and I get a chance to meet her and you banish me to a bedroom! Well – well – to hell with all of you!”

“Benjamin! If you mother heard you . . .” Phoney's voice was severe.

“She's not here!” Benjamin stood up, knocking his chair back which screeched on the floor in protest. “Might as well go to bed right now anyway!” He stomped from the table and to the hall, but paused one last time to add, “I'm not a kid!”

Fone winced at the slam of the bedroom door. “That went well.”

“He can be mad about it as long as he's safe.”

Smiley took a drink of his water before saying, “He's going to try to sneak out later.”

“Yeah, and I'm hoping he'll fall asleep before then.” 

“And he didn't finish his dinner,” Fone looked at Benjamin's untouched plate. 

“Well, he better come back to eat before Thorn gets here.” Phoney went back to eating, though his appetite had slacken.

* * * 

The hours came and went. They finished dinner and Smiley and Fone washed the dishes while Phoney made some business calls in the living room. Then they sat on the couch reminisce about their time in the Valley and in their childhood as orphans. It had been many years since they spoke together like this, just the three of them. Fone looked at the clock and found himself surprised at how much time passed each time he looked. 

They didn't see Benjamin for the rest of the evening. Phoney went back there to check on him and came back with his teeth gritted and fuming and wouldn't say what happened. Then midnight came and Fone felt his anxiety gnawing at him. Time decided to creep slower and slower. It was 12:30, then 12:45, then finally it was 12:56, the long hand ticking slowly towards the 12. 

“Exactly what time will she come?” Phoney glared at the clock as if it was offending him.

Fone shook his head, “I don't know. I wasn't exactly looking at the clock when she showed up.”

“Wonderful!” Phoney said sourly. “So we could be waiting for hours with no sleep!”

“We could sleep in shifts.” Smiley suggested. 

“I'm not sleeping. Not until after I see her.”

Despite himself, he fell asleep. He would remember that he had a dream, but couldn't remember what he dreamed. He was shaken awake by Smiley and his eyes went to the clock as soon they could focus. 2:33. There was a rapping on the door.

Fone threw himself from the couch and caught his knee against the coffee table. He hopped one on foot, clutching his knee, but still making progress towards the door. And despite his injury, he made it to the door before Phoney. He threw it open and nearly fell on his rear. Standing in the door way wasn't Thorn. It was a tall human man with black hair and beard looking down at him with bright blue eyes. He wore the robes of the Veni-Yan and wore a sword at his hip. He looked down his long nose at Fone, his eyes narrowing in deep speculation before he stepped aside to admit Thorn who was the same as he saw her last night with drier clothing.

“Hello, again, guys.” She smiled warmly at them all from behind the tall man. She nudged the man in the side, “Move, Li, it’s safe. These are the Bones I’ve been telling you about.”

Li? Who is Li? And why was he traveling around with his Thorn? Fone’s exultation was dampen with an old emotion he hadn’t felt since the day of the fair towards a certain honey seller. 

There was a moment of hesitation as Smiley and Phoney stared. Were they experiencing the flood of memories he had when Thorn first knocked on his door? Thorn stepped into the room, pushing back her hood and staring back at Phoney and Smiley. She offered them a shy smile. “It’s good to see you again, Smiley . . . and you too Phoney.”

Smiley came forward and threw his arms around her waist, “Thorn! Golly, it’s good to see you!”

“Smiley? Did you shrink?” Thorn asked hugging him back.

“Naw, you just got taller.”

Li watched from a corner of the room, his eyes on Thorn while taking quick glances at the other Bones. His hand wasn’t far from the sword at his belt. Fone kept switching his gaze from Thorn to Li. He tried to push away his suspicions and enjoy Thorn’s presence, but he had to know. “Thorn, who’s your . . . friend?”

Thorn looked at Li and then back at Fone. “He’s my escort. The Veni-Yan wouldn’t let me come without a bodyguard.”

Fone felt the tension leave his shoulders as the information took away the ball of jealousy and dread in his stomach. Now he could be happy to have Thorn back in his life again.

“Why are you here?” Phoney’s voice cut through the atmosphere. He had his arms crossed and throwing a suspicious glare in Thorn’s direction. 

“Phoney . . .” Fone said warning.

Ignoring Fone, Phoney thrust a finger towards Thorn, “I demand to know what you are planning to drag my cousin into now! If you think I’m going to let you drag Fone into anything life threatening then you have another think coming!”

“Phoney!” Fone barked with fists clenched.

Li’s hand tighten around sword hilt and his eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. For the first time, he spoke, “Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I will cut out this little pale mole’s tongue for his disrespect.”

While Smiley and Fone looked horrified and Phoney’s uni-brown droopped, Thorn rolled her eyes. “Li, we talked about this. These are my friends. Believe it or not, that includes Phoney. They may speak freely to me without you cutting bits off them.” 

Li’s hand slowly left the hilt as his blue eyes glared at Phoney.

Thorn offered the Bones a nervous smile, “Sorry about that. Li is overzealous when it comes to protecting me. There’s no need to fear him. Now as to Phoney’s question of why I’m here. Yes, I need Fone’s help with something dangerous, but very important to me.”

“I knew it!” Phoney threw up his hands. “Thorn, you can just go back to the Valley and stay there . . .”

“Phoney, just shut up!” Fone yelled. “Just let Thorn speak and let me decide if I want to be involved or not!”

Phoney wasn’t going to let it go that easily. “Jeez louise!” He pointed at Thorn, “It’s just like last time! She bats her eyes and you go charging off into the unknown! What can be soooo important that you would come all the way to the Valley and come barging into our lives like this! Huh? What? The Hooded One is back? The Rat Creatures on the move again? The Dragons are taking another cat nap? What is so damn important!?”

Fone would later swear he could hear Li’s teeth grinding and the bones in his hand cracked in a strong desire to grab his sword. Thorn put a hand on Li’s shoulder and said solemnly, “I need his help in rescuing my daughter. She disappeared into a Ghost Circle.”


	4. Chapter 4

The silence that followed after Thorn’s words were deafening. It was like a hum in his ears like tinnitus. Fone had been dealt with a series of shocks over the last twenty-four hours and he had the feeling that there would be more to come within the next hour. Yet, this one cut him the deepest. 

Then Smiley broke the silence, “You have a daughter?”

“Two actually. Lily and Ash,” Thorn said watching their reaction. “Lily is thirteen and Ash is five. Ash is the one that disappeared.”

Fone noticed from the corner of his eye Phoney’s jaw hanging open. It seemed that Phoney was the most surprised of the three of them that Thorn was a parent like himself. He looked at Li and said tentatively, “Who is their father?”

“My brother, Asher,” Li said, “The King of Atheia and youngest Son of Chief Lilegas of the Sufato Clan of the Pawa Nation.”

The Bones blinked and the room was again filled with silence that wasn’t broken until Fone managed to say, “You married a Pawan? After they tried to attack Atheia and sided with the Lord of Locust?”

And before Thorn could speak, Li stepped forward, “My clan had nothing to do with those who swore allegiance to the Hooded One. Our clan was shunned, but we were the strong ones after the war. We follow the traditions of the Dragons and the teachings of Ven. It was a blessing unto our family that our blood mixed with the blood of the first Queen of humans.”

Jealousy and anger ebbed in his breast. He worst fear had been confirmed, Thorn had found live with another and actually had a family while he had lived the last sixteen years alone longing for her. He found himself hating Asher, a man he had never met. What sort of name was Asher anyway? Fone’s brows formed a V above his eyes. “So I guess His Highness is too busy to come with his wife to rescue their daughter, eh?”

Li’s face turned red and before he could speak, Thorn placed a hand on his chest halting any outcry. Then she said softly, “Asher died five years ago in a hunting accident.”

Fone closed his eyes ashamed at himself and more ashamed by the small flutter of relief that crept through him like a roach. “I’m sorry, Thorn.”

Thorn smiled sadly and nodded, accepting his apology. She said, “We should sit down and I’ll start from the beginning; after you guys left the Valley.”

Fone swallowed feeling as if a heavy rock had been dropped in his stomach while butterflies flooded his head. He had always wondered what happened to Thorn after they parted. And he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear it, especially since it contained her marriage. In order to delay, he offered, “I’ll make tea, shall I?”

“Ooh! And hot cocoa for me, please.” Smiley rubbed his hands delighted.

It was weird and it was confirmed by the looks he received from everyone. Li staring at him as if he was something gross on the bottom of his shoe, Smiley puzzled look, Phoney being impatient, and Thorn tilting her head and giving him a kind smile. It was all he could do to keep from fleeing into the kitchen. 

As he entered the kitchen he took deep breaths to steady his nerves and when he opened a cabinet to collect the kettle and saw Benjamin instead, his heart almost gave out. 

“Yipe!” Fone backpedal, almost hitting the sink behind him.

Benjamin held a finger to his mouth and hissed at him to be quiet. Fone grasped is chest, stilling his beating heart and whispered, “Benjamin! What are you doing . . .?”

“Shhh, Uncle Fone, please, don’t rat me out. I snuck out when you guys weren’t looking,” Benjamin held out the kettle as if it weren’t a bribe. 

“Fone, sumthin’ wrong?” Phoney called.

Fone looked up towards the living room where everyone, save for Li, was taking a seat. Phoney was look at him over the head of the couch his uni-brow set in an inquiring loop. 

Fone took the kettle from Benjamin and replied, “No, it’s fine. I thought I saw a mouse, but it was just a shadow.” Then he ducked his head and whispered, “Just stay quiet and if your father finds you, I knew nothing about this. Deal?”

Benjamin nodded with a grateful smile and closed the cabinet. Fone went about making tea, hoping the sweat beading on his brow would be gone by the time he finished. And oh great, he forgot to get honey. 

As he waited for the water to boil, he prepared the hot cocoa for Smiley and geared himself up emotional for Thorn’s story. If he was going to help her, then he had to listen to her story. She had come a long way to seek his help and he wasn’t going to let her down. And this was deathly serious, her daughter went missing into a Ghost Circle of all things? 

He remember them from his time in the Valley, after the Hooded One attempted to free the Lord of Locust through a botched ritual with Phoney. The Ghost Circles, invisible bubbles of nothingness if touched can evaporate or take a person to a place between life and death. He and Thorn were the only two people who entered one and walked out of their own free will. 

If that what she needed from him? But wait, he had seen her go into a Ghost Circle by herself and come out again during her quest for the Crown of Horns, when she was at the height of her powers. There had to be more to it than that. 

He finally returned with a tray of tea and a mug of cocoa for Smiley who smacked his lips and thanked him. Fone felt his heart pattered when Thorn thanked him kindly and sipped her tea. He settled on the sofa next to Phone across from Thorn.

Thorn sipped her tea and stared into it as if looking at something they couldn’t see. “After you left, Gran’ma Ben and I stayed a few weeks longer in the village before we returned to Atheia. It had recovered from the war thanks to the recovered treasure and Mermie and the other council members. It was a lot of work and I had so much to learn. As you remember, I knew how to live on a farm and do chores, but dealing with a nation’s economy, diplomatic and political ties, attending audiences with people who had requests . . . I could go on and on. And on top of that, I had to train as a Veni-Yan warrior as my grandmother and mother had before. It wasn’t easy as I had forewent the training I should have had in my childhood. I had a lot of catching up to do.”

Thorn’s thumb stroked the edge of the teacup. “That was when I met him. Asher Lilegason. He was training also, but since he the Head Master’s top pupil, he was in charge of getting me up to speed. It was frustrating. He made me practice the basic stuff, the things only beginners such as children did and hours upon hours of meditation. I was angry because I was a Veni-Yan-Cari and I had already done to much beyond what he could ever hope to achieve so what right did he have to teach me so? He always knew when my mind wasn’t still or if I was getting distracted. There was a while when I outright hated him and believed he felt the same about me. But he didn’t dislike me. He understood that in order for me to improve my skills, I had to master the basics, the foundation of Dreaming. And gradually, my skill within the Dreaming improved.”

Fone could feel his heart thrumming and his hands were clasped together between his knees. He could feel them getting sweatier and sweatier as he listened to the story of her courtship with Asher.

“I suppose by my second year of training, I realized I was in love with him and he was in love with me. For a long time, we had to keep our relationship secret. As Queen of Atheia, I was expected to wed for political gain. A nobleman or foreign leader’s son. Asher was just the youngest of three sons to his clan’s chief and had no claim to any land or political influence to give to a political marriage. I managed to throw off and delay any open searches for suitors, though they came themselves. For two years, we kept our love hidden until . . . something happened that we couldn’t hide away for long. I became pregnant.”

Fone sighed, “Jeeze, Thorn, what did Gran’ma Ben do?”

“Yelled at me for one thing. Called me a foolish child. But she supported me when I proclaimed I would wed Asher and use our marriage to build a peaceful bridge between Atheia and Pawa. There were some for it and others against it. We weathered the political backlash and came out the other side wedded with a healthy baby daughter, Lily. We were happy for many years . . . then I became pregnant again, with Asher.” Thorn paused, licking her lips. 

Li moved from his position in the corner and laid a surprisingly tender hand on Thorn’s shoulder. She touched his gloved hand and they both shared a moment in their shared grief for a loved one. “In Pawan tradition, after the birth of a child, the father goes out hunting with other fathers and male family members to bring back meat for the celebrating the baby’s naming. You didn’t name the baby until the celebration where you publicly announce the name. He had done this for Lily and wished to do this for Asher . . .” She lowered her eyes, her lips almost trembling.

Fone swallowed. “Oh, Thorn, that was when he had his accident . . .”

“Yes,” she said, raising her eyes and Fone could see the sadness and loss in them. “It has rain that previous night while I gave birth. The southern mountain where he hunted had paths that had become eroded from the rain and he fell . . . I named my second daughter after him; Ash. She took after the father she never had the chance to meet, knowing him only through stories and paintings. She was particularly gifted in the Dreaming at such a young age and has a skill that unnerved the Dreaming Masters. She could create Ghost Circles.”

Fone gulped. Creating and controlling Ghost Circles had been a skill that Briar, the Hooded one, and the Lord of Locusts could do. He could understand why they were so concern. 

As if sensing his thoughts, Thorn shook her head, “No, Ash is nothing like jealous Briar. She is a good and kind girl who loves her sister dearly. Ash was undergoing the same training I had. She created Ghost Circles, but she never used them to harm others. And prayer stones were used to prevent any accidents. Ash was always careful when she made them and always far from any living thing. One night, she started having nightmares. She told me that someone was calling her name, telling her to go with him. I searched the Dreaming myself and saw nothing that was trying to harm her and I assumed it was just bad dreams. I was foolish.” 

Thorn smacked a fist on the arm of the chair, nearly offsetting her teacup from its saucer. “Whatever it was, it was clever and knew how to hide from me and the other Masters in the Dreaming. It waited, biding its time, and took Ash away through a Ghost Circle. No one could find her. Not even I. When I searched with my dreaming eye, I could not find her, as if she were dead and gone from this world. Days past, then weeks, and while others were giving up the search, I continued looking. I searched the Valley and the mountains and still I could not find her. Then in my desperation, I went deep into the Dreaming in my meditations, so deep, I spoke with the dead. My husband, Asher, was there and he told me this, Our daughter, had been taken by a spirit. It plans on using her for evil and I must save her before it can carry out its plans. To save her, you must follow them into a Ghost Circle and beyond.”

Fone furrowed his brow in deep thought, “I’ve seen you go into Ghost Circles and out the other side somewhere far away.”

“Yes, but what Asher told me is different. Much, much different. This is where . . . things become complicated.” 

“How complicated can it be when it comes to Ghost Circles and Dreaming?” Smiley asked, startling Fone who had become so absorbed by Thorn’s tale he had forgotten the others.

Thorn licked her lips and paused, her eyes scanning them as she continued her story. “I went to the Great Red Dragon who had returned to Deren Gard with the other dragons. He revealed many things things to me. Things concerning your three and the world I thought I understood.” She rubbed her chin in thought while glancing up at them in for brief seconds. “I’m not sure how to say this without you three becoming alarmed.”

“Thorn, what is it?” Fone leaned forward, his brow knitted in concern. “You can tell us.”

Thorn reached over and touched his hand. He had to fight to keep from melting at her touch. Electricity coursed through his arm and throughout his torso from the contact and his heart being pounding again. He stared at her face, becoming lost in her eyes as she spoke, “Didn’t you three find it odd that you never heard of the Valley until you arrived and no one in the Valley knew about Boneville nor have ever seen a Bone before? Nor have you ever seen a human until you guys met Gran’ma Ben, Lucius, and myself?”

“Yeah, because we live so far apart.” Smiley said excited as if he were a pupil able to answer a difficult question posed by the teacher. 

Thorn grinned at Smiley, “True, but its a lot further than that. When you came to the Valley, you three actually traveled to another world.”

The three of them blinked. Fone stared awestruck at Thorn, Smiley whooped and smacked his knee, and Phoney’s jaw dropped with his eyes bulging. 

“Wow! I like to see the Boneville Explorers Society beat that!” Smiley beamed.

“No wonder the Valley was so crazy! It was another world!” Phoney exclaiming, smacking his head. 

Fone stared, completely taken aback, “Wait, it . . .that can’t be right. We couldn’t have to another world . . . that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Actually, it does,” Phoney said leaning forward. “No matter how hard the Boneville Explorers tried to find the Valley, they couldn’t do it even after they sent out search parties following our directions. They all came back saying it was nothing, but desert.”

“But how!? How did we travel there and how did we come back!?” Fone exclaimed, clutching Thorn’s hand. She had been further away than he had ever dared to think.

“And that brings up to another revelation I have to give you,” Thorn said solemnly. She moved from the chair to kneel before him. Fone shivered having her so close brought back memories of their time together: holding her in Tarsil’s dungeon, hugging her after their separation during the Rat Creature attack on the Valley, and the private moments they shared secrets in the dark night of the storm when Rat Creatures attacked the cottage of Thorn and Gran’ma Ben. 

Fone met Thorn’s eyes and felt ice spread throughout his veins when she said, “Fone, you’re a Veni-Yan-Cari too.”

“What? No way! I can’t be one,” Fone stared dumbstruck. “I’m not able to do any of the things you can!”

Thorn nodded gravely, “Yes, you are, Fone. Think and remember. After Briar’s failed ritual, you caused your dream to influence the Waking World. You were dressed as Ismael and Phoney as Captain Ahab from your beloved book. You were able to take a piece of the Locust inside you. You noticed the cold spot at the meeting with Gran’ma Ben’s teacher when Briar tried to possess me. It was through you I was able to touch the Crown of Horns without being killed. And above all, you went into a Ghost Circle with me and came out.”

Smiley leaned forward, his eyebrows knitted in deep thought as well, “Yeah, I remember! When Rock Jaw kidnapped Thorn and took her to the Eastern Mountains, you did that thing Gran’ma Ben and Thorn could do. You closed your eyes and sensed she was still alive. You did it without even realizing you were doing it.”

“Wait! This is impossible! I can’t be a Veni-Yan-Cari!” Fone backed away from Thorn, shaking his head. 

“Fone, I know it’s a lot to take in. I went through the same thing, remember?” Thorn said gently. “You’re the reason you and your cousins came to the Valley. You brought them there.”

Fone put his hands at his temples, trying to absorb this bombshell. “I didn’t!”

“Actually, you did, kinda,” Phoney was staring at him as if he had made a new discovery that could benefit or destroy Bonekind. “You were leading us around with the map . . . .”

“See? I was following the map!” Fone pointed at Phoney. “See! It wasn’t me . . .”

“Waitaminute, cuz, I ain’t finish.” Phoney scooted off his seat and began pacing with his hands behind his back. It was a habit he did when he was in deep thought. “Before the cloud of locust came, we were lost, remember? I recall you saying that the mountain range wasn’t on any map and we had been traveling for two weeks so we spent days looking at the mountains. So how did they change over the course of an hour?”

“I don’t know . . .” Fone grind out through his teeth. Were his cousins deliberately ganging up on him? “I couldn’t have taken us to another world . . .”

“Fone,” Thorn took his face between her hands and he felt himself becoming calm under her touch. “When you were fleeing the townspeople, you were afraid for your cousins, weren’t you? You wanted to get them as far away from the angry mob as possible, right?”

Fone nodded, “Yeah, I was afraid they were going to string Phoney up.”

“The Great Dragon believes that while you were fleeing, you came across a weak Ghost Circle in your world. Your will to get your cousins somewhere safe and far away influenced it to do just that. What could be further than a world away? When you arrived in my world, your presence alerted the Lord of Locust so he went his locusts to investigate and found you. You three became separated and we all met in the Valley. Your Dreaming Eye was powerful, but was dormant, closed as if sleeping and only opening during times of duress.”

“Such as running away from an angry mob,” Smiley offered.

“Yes,” Thorn nodded. “When you three were in the Valley, none of you dreamed because you were from a different world, save for Fone who was able to dream once the Great Red Dragon opened his Dreaming Eye.”

“What?” Fone remember the dreams he had in the Valley. The dream of he and his cousins playing out the story of Moby Dick and the Great Red Dragon appearing in them. “Was that what he was doing? Making me into Veni-Yan-Cari?”

Thorn shook her head, “No, you were already one. He was just opening your Dreaming Eye so you could help me. Because of you, I was able to remember my time with the dragons and what had happened to my parents despite them hiding my memories. When I first stepped into a Ghost Circle, I was about to evaporate like so many others until you came and held my hands. Together we were able to go into the Ghost Circle and I spoke with the dead.” She took his hands and held them tightly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Fone, I know this is a lot for you to absorb, but please, trust me on this. You are a Veni-Yan-Cari like myself and I need you to help me rescue my daughter. If I could do it myself and leave you in peace, I would! I truly would, but I can’t do this alone. I’m not powerful enough and being around you has always able me to do more which I believe is part of your power.”

Fone felt a lump growing in his throat and his hands squeezed Thorns. How could he possibly deny her? Phoney was right. He could never deny her anything, especially now when she was nearly on her knees pleading with him. Her, a Queen, a powerful woman with abilities that far outstrip any man or Bone, and here she was begging him to help save her daughter. 

Before he could speak, Phoney spoke up, “You should do it, Fone.”

All eyes turned to him. Fone stared in shocked at Phoney. “Ever since you heard that Thorn was back, you’ve been warning me to stay out of it and to tell her to go home. What changed?”

Phoney raised his hands like a scientist pointing out an obvious solution to an equation. “Her daughter is in trouble! Hello! I’m a parent too, Fone, or have you forgotten? If Benjamin ever went missing and Thorn was the only person who could help, I’d go to the Valley myself and beg her to help me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of you going into more danger, but I also know that if I ever did need her help to save Benjamin, she’d do it because she’s a parent too.”

Fone turned back to Thorn who was staring stupefied at Phoney, amazed at by his uncharacteristic benevolence. “Thorn, I don’t understand how I can help, but I will. I’ll help you anyway I can to get Ash back.”

Tears began falling down her face. “Thank you, Fone. I . . . thank you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Fone knew if he didn’t sleep that night he was looking at two days without sleep. It was well into morning by the time Thorn had left and the Bones made their plans. Then Smiley took up an old camping sleeping bag he had brought and Phoney slept on the couch. They had insisted that Fone keep his bed as he hadn’t had much sleep the previous night.

“And you are going to need all the rest you can get,” Smiley said firmly.

He had two days to get all his affairs in order, which he noticed was familiar as he had not one day ago fantasize it before and now it was a reality. He had to write a letter of resignation, compile an outline for his literature and advance literature classes for his replacement, pack up and store his belongings, sell his car and use the money to buy supplies to get him across the desert. Smiley had offered to help pack his belongings and Bartleby was sure to help and Phoney can handle selling his car, but he would have to handle writing the resignation letter and lessons plans himself which would take half the day. Oh and he would have to cancel his newspaper subscription and have someone manage his garden, and he should get a new prescription for his glasses and maybe get his teeth cleaned while he was at it.

The more he thought, the more he realize he had to do, and the more he had to do the more stressed he became and more stress made it harder to sleep.

And he wasn’t the only needing to make preparations.

* * *

_“Smiley, you don’t have to come with me.” After Fone agreed to go with Thorn, Smiley announced he was going too._

_“I’ve been itching to see the Valley again,” Smiley scratched the back of his neck. “When am I going to get a chance like this again? Besides, I can’t let you go back there by yourself. I rather be there looking after you than sitting back in Boneville worried.”_

_“What about Bartleby?” Fone said._

_“He’ll be fine on his own. The other Bones aren’t chasing him around with pitchforks and torches no more and I think he might want to come too. It’ll do him some good to get closure, ya know?”_

_The two of them turned to Phoney who was sitting on the couch glaring at his feet. Fone swallowed and said, “Phoney . . .”_

_“I’m not going,” Phoney’s voice said stiffly, but Fone could see the slightly quiver to his chin. “Not because I hate the Valley, which I still do because that place is crazy and dangerous, but I have a life here. I have Penelope and Benjamin and I can’t leave them to go on another adventure. I’m sorry, guys.”_

_“No, don’t apologize. We understand and I was going to ask you to stay. You need to watch over Boneville until we get back,” Fone said._

_Phoney raised his eyes and met his. Something was exchanged in that glance and Phoney lowered his eyes, his mouth downturn in a sad droop. “Yeah, sure.”_

* * *

When I leave Boneville, Fone thought to himself, I’m not coming back.

Phoney knew it without it being spoken. Fone wasn’t certain if Smiley realized it yet or not, but Fone was certain without a doubt that when he left Boneville it would be for the last time. When he returned to the Valley and helped Thorn, he would stay there with her.

What if he had stayed in the first place? Would the Great Red Dragon had told him he was a Veni-Yan-Kari? Would he have joined Thorn in training? Could he have intervened in Asher’s courtship with Thorn?

The questions whirled inside his brain, keeping him from the sleep he sorely needed. More questions arise and he kept wondering if things could have turned out differently if he had been more pursuant in a relationship with her. Instead of just sneaking away to write silly love poems, what if he had done more? What if he had just confessed his feelings to her and been more open and brave about them?

He groaned in frustration. What more could he have done!? He had done everything for her! He has risked life and limb to save her, even rescued her from herself when she sought the Crown of Horns. And she was aware of his feelings for her, how could she not be!?

He shoved his face into the pillow and gave a yell to vent his frustration.

 

* * *

_“Thorn, if you need Fone to get to another world, then how are you here now?” Phoney asked with a suspicious tilt to his uni-brow._

_“The Great Red Dragon helped me get here just as he helped you get back to Boneville. And it also helps that our worlds happen to be connected.”_

_“Connected? How?”_

_Thorn cupped her chin in thought. “It’s hard to explain. In the Dreaming there are different worlds. Some worlds are closer to each than others and some are linked together through weak pockets in the lining around that world. In my world, or the Valley, the weaken pockets are called Ghost Circles, but in other worlds they might be called something different, like portals, abbreviations, or a haunting.”_

_“Yet, we went into a Ghost Circle and didn’t go out into another world,” Fone’s eye brows were lowered in deep thought as well._

_“Each world has layers, like an onion. When we went into the Ghost Circle the first time, we actually were inside one of those layers Valley. When I was going for the Crown of Horns, I used it to get to Tanen Gard without running into Rat Creature patrols. The Great Red Dragon said that it was possible, with someone powerful in the Dreaming like a Veni-Yan-Cari and with some luck and purpose, to get through all the layers and into another world, but doing so is extremely dangerous as it’s possible to become lost within the Dreaming or even lose yourself completely and become part of it.”_

_Fone flashed back to the moment after he touched the Crown of Horns with a static electric spark. They had been floating together in the darkness and below had been a wonderful warm light. It had greeted him with a simple acknowledging ‘hello’ and it had been so inviting that he wanted to go down and be close to it, but Thorn stopped him, told him that if they went there, they could never return. They had never spoken of it after that and nor had he ever brought it up with anyone. It seemed like something that was better off left unsaid, but remembered._

_“And do you know which world your daughter was taken?” Phoney inquired his face downcast in a thoughtful gaze._

_“I do, but I don’t know much about it. The Dreaming is different around it, almost something else. What is normal for our worlds may not be so for others. For Li and I, we were able to come through here with some help from the Dragon and my ability. It was simple enough because we are linked, but as for the world Ash was taken to,” Thorn pursed her lips grimly, “It’s very distant. It’s impossible for me to go myself which is why I need Fone to aid me. Between the two of us, we can make it, but I won’t lie, it will be dangerous and there’s a good chance we may not be able to return.”_

_Fone saw Phoney’s face twist into a frown and a rich shade of red. For a moment, he believed that Phoney was going to change his mind, but then he saw his cousin’s face deepen into somber expression which was alien on the constant scowling face he was accustomed to. “Alright. You need every chance you can get to get your kid back and Fone fits the bill, I guess.”_

* * *

When he woke up from the second sleepless night in a row, Fone staggered into the kitchen following the scent of coffee. Phoney was at the stove spooning scramble eggs and bacon onto a plate. When he saw Fone, he grimaced, “Damn, Fone, you look like crap. Didn’t you sleep at all?”

“Could you?” Fone retorted and flung himself into a kitchen chair. “Coffee?”

Phoney grumbled under his breath and fetched a mug. “Jeeze, you need to go back to bed and get a solid eight hours.”

“Can’t. I got too much to do,” Fone muttered. He nodded in gratitude when Phoney set the mug done and carefully nursed from the steaming cup. “I need to go into my office and write up my resignation.”

“Don’t worry about. I can get my secretary to do it.” Phony set the plate of eggs and bacon near Fone after pour himself a cup of coffee. He sat across from Fone holding the mug with both hands.

“I should do it,” Fone said and drank his coffee in hopes the caffeine will make him less tired soon. “Where’s Smiley?”

“He wanted to talk to Bartleby as soon as possible and get ready. I don’t know if I feel better if they Rat Creature went with your or not.” Phoney said, then glanced at down the hall. “I feel bad for Benjamin. He missed his chance to meet Thorn, but I suppose he can meet her later. That kid sleeps like a rock.”

“Oh, yeah,” Fone remembered catching peek of Benjamin sneaking back into his bedroom after Thorn and Li left. “Poor kid,” he sipped his coffee lest Phoney noticed the guilt in his eyes.

Phoney took a deep breath, his thumbs rubbing the side of the mug. “I guess we need to address the elephant in the room while no one else is listening in. You’re not coming back, are you?”

Fone swallowed and stared down into his mug. “No, I’m not. Even if we save Ash and get her home, I’m staying in the Valley with Thorn.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Phoney sighed. “I always kinda sensed that a part of you had stayed in the Valley after we left. I can stomp, yell, demand you not go, and you’ll still go. I can’t stop you, but I’m afraid for you, Fone.”

“I’ll be fine, Phoney,” Fone said reassuringly. “Thorn and I faced many dangers together, remember?”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m afraid you’re going to go back to the Valley with the idea of wooing Thorn.” Phoney replied. “And you’re going to get your heart broken again.”

How did Phoney knew of what he was thinking? No, Phoney just had a knack of finding things out that no one wanted others to know. It was how he found Tarsil’s hidden treasure and deduced where the Crown of Horns was. And sometimes, Phoney just knew him more than he cared to admit.

“Please, please, don’t bring this up, not now . . .” Fone rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on.

“She emotionally damaged you to where you got it in your head that you can’t find love with no one else save her,” Phoney said firmly. “Now she’s back in your life and ‘available’ and I saw the way you looked at her last night. I saw how hurt you were when she talked about her husband and the relief you tried to hide when she said he had passed away. You’re going to try to pursue her and you’re going to get hurt again and I’m afraid that when it happens, it’s going to break you half.”

Fone tapped the table with a finger, “Firstly, Thorn didn’t damage me. You’re making it out that she’s some loose woman that toyed with my emotions and used me, but that never happened. What we had was a close friendship and yes, it’s true that I wanted it to be something more, but I accepted it for what it was.”

_Did I?_

Fone tapped a second finger, “Secondly, I’m feeble little Bone with tender feelings. As you recall, I went through a lot in the Valley. Chased by Rat Creatures, captured by Rock Jaw, went through hallucinations, Ghost Circles, been beat up and put in a dungeon, and survived a siege. Maybe I did get heart broken when we left the Valley, but that was years ago!”

_It still feels pretty raw._

“And thirdly,” Fone tapped a final finger on the table, “We were younger back then. She was a girl and I was just some guy. And we had a lot going on. Too much to focus on anything else.”

“So if the whole shebang with the Hooded One, lost princesses, end of the world, and castle sieges hadn’t happened, you would have written more dumb poems for her? Would you have asked her out on a date? Oh, that’s right, technically, you kinda did go on a date with her, but she tossed you aside to hang out with a . . . honey seller, wasn’t it?” Phoney said sourly. He took a breath and released it through his bulbous nose. “Look, I don’t want to fight with you. All I’m saying is don’t get your hopes up. Don’t think that you’re getting a second chance with her. Her husband died and she’s got two kids with one missing.”

“If Penelope d - ” at this Phoney grimaced at the thought and continued, “If something happened to Penelope, I don’t think I could ever find anyone that could replace her. I’d live out the rest of my life alone until I can join her later. I’d be too busy raising Benjamin by myself and making sure he grew up in the Bone Penelope would be proud of. I’m sure Thorn is thinking the same thing. She’s probably mad at herself for letting her daughter go missing and failed her late husband. The furthest thing from her mind right now is romance.”

Fone hard feelings soften and he relaxed his sharpen eyebrow. “I know and I’ll help her get her kid back anyway I can. That’s my mission. Not romancing her.”

But a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, _Really?_

 _Yes, really,_ he told the voice sternly.

“Wow, how long as it been since we had an argument like this?” Phoney inquired with a jerk of his uni-brow. “Years, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, years,” Fone raised his eyes and felt them moisten “Phoney, I’m going to miss you. I know you and I have butted heads since we shared a cribbed together, but you’ve been a brother to me since day one. You looked after us when we were kids and when we were adults. It turned you into a greedy bastard for a while, but in the end you got a heart of pure gold.”

Phoney’s uni-brow quivered as did his lower lip. “I always thought you were a goody-two shoes and way too honest for your own good, but you saved me plenty of times and kept me out of trouble until Penelope came along and took over. I . . . I always admired and envied you, Fone. You were the good one everyone liked. I was greedy, Smiley was lazy, but you were the good one of the trio. It so easy for you to get people to like you and hell, people still like you. Kids love your classes, the parents think you’re the best teacher in years, and Penelope and Benjamin adore you. You leaving isn’t just going to hurt me, it’s going to hurt Boneville.”

* * *

Fone washed his face and peered into his redden eyes. He had to excuse himself to the restroom lest Phoney see him cry. It hadn’t hit him until now that he was leaving his home again. Going back to Valley was what he wanted for a long time, but now that it has come, he realized that Boneville had been a good home. He had friends, a job he loved, students he cared for, and family which he would be leaving behind.

When he left the bathroom, Benjamin was standing in the hall waiting. “Morning.”

“Gee Uncle Fone, did you sleep at all last night?” Benjamin asked.

“Not really, no.”

“Um . . . thanks for covering for me last night. Dad would be pretty steamed if he knew I was there.” Benjamin’s hands were fidgeting before him and he looked away from Fone.

“Is something wrong, Benjamin?”

“Are you really leaving Boneville . . . for good?”

Fone sighed. He should have known that Benjamin could wake up early enough to overhear a conversation not meant for his ears. “Yeah. I am. I’m pretty sure Smiley is coming back though so you’ll have at least one uncle back.” It was a weak joke.

Benjamin looked down at his feet and shuffle them together. “I’m going to miss you, Uncle Fone.”

“Yeah, I’ll miss you too, kiddo.”

“You’re leaving in two days?”

“Yeah, I got a lot to do until then. Can I count on you to help out?”

“Yeah, sure,” Benjamin raised his face, determination in his eyes. “I’ll help.”

Later, Fone would chalk it up to lack of sleep that he didn’t notice the double meaning in Benjamin’s words.

* * *

The next hours were a blur for sleep deprived Fone. He would type a few words of his resignation and then his mind would wonder to other things such as what he would packed, how things had changed in the Valley, saying his final goodbye to Phoney and his family, then it would come back around to his letter and he would be shocked at how much time had past and how little work he had done.

By the time he had managed to finished his letter and even begin his lesson plan, it was noon. He came out to make coffee and was shocked to see Penelope packing his dishes and cups in the kitchen.

“Penelope?”

Penelope was pretty with the longest eyelashes Fone had ever seen on a Bonette. Her dark hair was held back in waves in a simple bun with hair pins. Her bulbous nose and cheeks were speckled with the freckles Benjamin inherited with her. She gave Fone a stern look, “When was the last time you slept?”

Fone gulped. Penelope was using her stern, ‘I want the truth’ voice on him. It was the voice he had heard her use on Phoney in the early years of their marriage and on Benjamin when he was up to mischief. “I think the night before last . . .” That was the scary thing about Penelope’s special tone of voice. When she used it, she got the truth each time.

“Then you can go to bed right now.”

“It’s noon,” he blurted out, “and I have so much to do. I got just finished my resignation letter and I need to go the lesson plans for the rest of the year, and . . .”

Penelope put her fists on her hips and fixed him a hard look which made him feel very small and young. “Already taken care of. I notified the principal an hour ago and since you have such good notes, they can piece together a lesson plan. I’m packing your things and having them put into storage, Phoney is selling your car, and Smiley and Bartleby are buying supplies for your trip,” before he could speak of how Smiley and Bartleby would likely buy nothing but junk food, Penelope held up a finger halting him, “And I gave them a list and I told them they were to buy nothing that was not on that list because if they did, I’ll have my decorator make their home modern.”

Wow, for Smiley and Bartleby who adore their collection of junk furniture and independence, that was a dire threat. “Thanks, I – I don’t think could sleep even if I wanted to.”

“I made strong chamomile tea. Have a cup, take a bath, and go to bed. If you don’t get enough sleep, how can you get the strength you’ll need to cross the desert?”

Fone blinked. “You know about . . .”

“That you’re going back to the Valley,” Penelope said and took him by the arm and forced him into a chair. She poured a cup of tea from the tea pot on the stove and pushed it into his hands. “Yes, Phoney told me this morning. Why are you so surprised? Was it supposed to be a secret?”

“I – I guess I’m just surprised. I didn’t think Phoney talked about the Valley at all. I didn’t think he’d tell you about it.”

“Oh, Phoney spoke to me about what happened in he Valley in private, not in public. However, what I know about the Valley is what he told me. It’ll be nice to learn more about it from another perspective from your book.”

Book? The book! Fone leap to his feet almost spilling his tea. In the excitement of speaking with Thorn, he had forgotten about the book! There was so much to do. So much to discuss concerning publishing the manuscript. However, before Fone could run for his office to make edits to the manuscript, Penelope blocked him with fire behind her eyes.

“Fone Bone, you will drink every drop of your tea and you will go to bed right now or I will not let you go to the Valley at all. Is that clear?”

Before Fone could snort and declare how she planned on stopping him, he stopped. This was Penelope Bone who tamed Phoney and ran Boneville alongside her father and ruled the upper echelons of Boneville’s upper society. If she said she would stop him from going to the Valley, he believed it. Penelope may not have Thorn’s power or Gran’ma Ben’s strength, but she had an ability all of her own.

“Yes ma’am.” He said and drank his tea.

Penelope turned with a twirl of her skirt and resumed packing his plates and dishes. “I’ll have someone bring dinner later tonight. I’ll wake you up to eat and then I expect you not to stay up too late. There’s no sense of you switching your sleep cycle around and you’ll need plenty of rest before your journey.”

Fone quietly drank his tea and soaked in a warm bath and went to bed. It may have been the tea, or the bath, or even Penelope’s order, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

* * *

The camp was simple with a single smokeless fire and two bedrolls. Their packs were tied off to low hanging branches. Two hobbled horses cropped at the grass with their saddles sitting idly nearby. A stream was only a short walk away letting them freely refill their canteens and cook with.

The two of them stay cross legged face to face, hood pulled over faces. There was silence save for the bubbling stream and the snatches of grass from the horses feeding. The small shape shifted, smooth fingers flexing on a knee, then the head moved.

“You’re not focused today, Li.”

The larger figure grunted in response.

“You’re angry,” Hands pushed the hood over her head, “because of the Bones.”

“I’m not angry,” Li responded without moving from his meditative position.

“Don’t try to fool me, I’m a Veni-Yan-Cari, remember?” Thorn said with a tilt of her head. “Your anger is practically glowing in the Dreaming.”

After a moment’s silence, Li pushed back his own hood and fixed her with a frown. “I don’t understand. I believed that if I met the Bones for myself then it would all become clear, but from what I saw . . .” Words failed him for the moment, but he collected himself, “One has no respect and glares with you open dislike.”

“Yes, that’s Phoney. I believed you’ve heard the stories about him when we left the Barrelhaven.”

“The other is a fool!”

“Don’t count Smiley out. He is very observant and loyal.”

“And the last one,” Li’s teeth clenched, “is the disappointment. The stories I heard of him, that he is the one who touched the Crown of Horns, the one who held the piece of the Locust within himself, stayed by your side throughout the Siege of Atheia is a weakling! No taller than a child and knows nothing of the Dreaming! And he’s besotted with you. He stared at you all the while we were there like a love struck mole.”

Thorn’s lips tighten into a thin line. “You don’t know him, Li. He is the bravest person I know. He put himself in danger to save me many times and has been with me when I learned of my heritage, when I became Veni-Yan-Cari, and during the war.”

“I believe your nostalgia is clouding your judgment.”

Thorn’s face darken, “I need him. I need another Veni-Yan-Cari to help me get my daughter back and I trust Fone with not only my life, but with my daughter’s as well. As you saw, he was willing to help me despite the danger.”

“In the village, I heard that the creature fancied you like a lovesick child, but in his beady black eyes I saw the love a man carries for a woman.”

With her face blank, she rose to her feet. “Fone and I share a close friendship, nothing more.” She turned away, an indication that the discussion was finished.

Yet, Li wasn’t willing to let his words go unsaid. “For the creature to have such a strong attraction towards you he would have received a signal or clue that cultured his feelings.”

She turned back with eyes flashing, “How dare you,” her voice was low, a soft hiss, but strong. “How dare you say such a thing? You may be my brother-in-law, but you have forgotten your place. I am not just your sister-in-law, but your Queen to whom you have sworn an oath. I have listened to your concerns regarding coming here and allowed you to escort me despite my better judgment, but I will not allow you to insinuate anything vulgar about my friendship with Fone Bone. In the future, I command your opinions be kept to yourself. Do you hear me, Son of Lilegas?”

Li’s face was fierce in the brunt of her reprimand, but he bowed his head deeply. “Yes, My Queen.”

Thorn continued glaring at him. “Are you perhaps speaking out of jealousy, Li?”

Li’s glare deepen and there was a red tinge behind his beard. “No, my Queen. I do not speak out of jealous of the pale creature. I speak out of concern for the memory of my brother, your husband, the King. I will not have you dishonor him in death by . . . ” he sought the words and spat, “having a pale mole for a paramour.”

Thorn’s red face blanched with shot, then dark dangerously. Her hand fell to her hip for an absent sword and when it found empty space, she clenched it tightly. Drawing deep breaths and mentally reciting verses of calm. Then she said softly, “Li, listen to this and know it to be true. The only feelings I have for Fone is of a deep close friendship. Yes, it is true that he loves me and I regret that I am unable to return those feelings and I have hurt him. There is nothing dishonorable in my relationship with Fone Bone so rest assure that I have done nothing to dishonor Asher or to earn your jealous ire. In fact, I dare to believe that if Asher could have met Fone, they would have been friends. Are you satisfied with my answer, Li?”

He relaxed his hands on his knees and bowed his head low. “Yes, my Queen, and my Sister. I believe you.”

 

* * *

 

_Images flowed through his head, or better yet, he was flowing through the images._

_Two girls playing; one the mirror image of Thorn and the other with Thorn’s eyes, but dark hair. She paused in playing and looked mournfully at him. He wanted to shout, to call to them, but he had no voice in this dream._

_Then he was looking up at a sky turned asunder with the color of sickness seeping from it._

_Then he is lying on a coffin floating in the sea. The salt in the air made him thirsty and he thought to himself, Water, water, everywhere / nor any drop to drink._

_And it spoke volumes of his experiences in the Valley when he didn’t react when a great red mass rose from the sea. He recognized the tufted ears and the goatee and the dark eyes that always knew more than the owner was willing to share. Water rolled off the giant head causing the coffin to bob, sloshing water over Fone._

_“Long time no see, Fone.” Though the head was bigger than house, the voice was soft and smooth._

_Fone clung to the coffin, almost tossed off by the crashing water. Once the coffin settled and Fone could relax his grip and lift his head, he said, “Fooling around in my dreams again? Do you not realize how much trouble you could have saved us if you had just told us what was going on?”_

_The head gave him an amused smile, “If I gave all the answers, then how could you discover them for yourself? How would you grow?”_

_“How are you here? I’m not in the Valley.”_

_“In Dreams, there is no distance and it doesn’t hurt that you and I area particularly powerful dreamers.”_

_“Yeah, about that. . .” Fone pushed up onto his knees with his arms out to maintain his balance. “You made me a Veni-Yan-Cari.”_

_The Great Red Dragon tilted his head, sending waves that bobbed the coffin. “Oh? Did I? I believe Thorn said that you were already a Veni-Yan-Cari when you came to the Valley. I may have helped grease the wheels a bit, but in the end it was all you that aided Thorn when she needed you most.”_

_“So was that why you followed me around and protected me?” Fone had to set his hands on the coffin to keep his balance as the waves shook it._

_“So many questions about the past when a dangerous future looms before you,” The Great Red Dragon scolded, but not unkindly. “I don’t have much time and I don’t wish to waste more of it rehashing the past, though I will admit that Thorn’s daughter going missing is a symptom of a bigger underlying problem.”_

_“Oh no!” Fone thumped his head on the wooden plank. “You’re not going to tell me exactly what’s going on save for some vague clues I won’t understand until the crucial moment and I’m not going to remember this dream at all.”_

_“Got it in one,” The Dragon replied with a bob of his head which sent a medium wave which soaked Fone. “So do you still want me to give ya the clues?”_

_Fone sighed. He was cold, wet, and tired (despite being asleep!). “Lay it on me.”_

_“You’re the one who’ll need to see the big picture before it’s all over. Everyone around you will be blinded by their emotions. Thorn’s love for her daughter, Li’s commitment to the memory of his brother, and even your devotion to Thorn will be a veil over your eyes. But once you see it, then it will be your devotion and Thorn’s love that will be the key.”_

_Fone thought for a moment then said, “Nope, no idea what it all means.”_

_“That’s fine. You’ll figure it out in the end.”_

_“Just answer one question from the past, please? It’s something that’s been bugging me.”_

_“Very well, what is it?”_

_“Alright. Boneville doesn’t worship dreams like The Valley and we don’t have Dragons or Veni-Yan group or anything like that. So how am I a Veni-Yan-Cari? And please, is it possible I’ll remember this answer?”_

_“It’s possible. Sometimes you remember the last thing you experience in Dreams easier than you remember the beginning of them. As to your question, every world has their own version of Veni-Yan-Cari with their own sets of rules and abilities. Some are called Shamans, others Dream Walkers, and even what you would call Sorcerers or Wizards. In some worlds, these people are respected and revered and often sought for aid, but in other worlds, they are feared, hated, and even prejudiced.”_

_“So I’m some sort of Boneville Wizard?” Fone pictured himself wearing oversize blue robes and a tall pointed hate with a long beard. “We don’t have anything like Shamans, Dream Walkers, or anything like that.”_

_“That’s a good question, but the only answer I can give is theory.” The Red Dragon said, “Veni-Yan-Cari are called the Awaken One. Their Dreaming Eye is wide open. Everyone has a Dreaming Eye, even the Bones of Boneville, how else would they dream? When you were a young Bone, you read a lot, spending hours in the library and finding solace in books, developing your Dreaming Eye through the literary world. When you came to The Valley, a world for which opened Dream Eyes awarded abilities, it awakened. I did help it along here and there, letting it become more in sync with the Valley’s Dreaming.”_

_Fone considered this for a moment. “So basically, I read a whole lot and ended up in another world and got superpowers.”_

_The Red Dragon shrug sending large waves, “Pretty much. Time to wake up, Fone.”_

* * *

Fone sat up in bed feeling as there should be something he should be remember, but feeling better than he had in two days. He could smell food cooking from the hall. He followed the smell with a growling stomach. When was the last time he ate? The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the window. How long had he slept?

Smiley and Bartleby was chowing down on a pile of burgers in the kitchen. Penelope and Phoney were speaking quietly on the couch while Ben was sitting in the armchair with a large book propped in his hands.

“Uh, morning?” he said from the doorway.

Phoney and Penelope rose to their feet. Phoney stepped forward in slight crouch, the way he did when he scheming or had a worry that he was trying to sort out. “Hey, you’re up.”

Fone blinked the sleep from his eyes and focused on the droop in his uni-brow. “What’s wrong?”

Phoney took him by the elbow and led him off down the hall part ways for privacy. “Yeah, uh, Fone, there’ been a problem.”

Fone drew a breath, readying himself for it. He found he was glad that he had taken a long sleep and felt geared up for whatever news Phoney had for him. “Alright, what is?”

“Well, it’s a combination of several things that fed into one big problem.” Phoney glanced to the side as if to see if anyone was listening in. It was an old nervous habit back during his days of scheming and plotting.

Fone set his brows in a determine line. “Just tell me, Phoney. Don’t sugar coat it.”

“Penelope chased several reporters off your lawn today. They wanted to come interview you about your journey back to the Valley.”

Fone stared and wondered if he had heard correctly. “Sorry, what now? Please tell me that Penelope chased raccoons off the lawn. Ya meant raccoons, right?”

“I wish I was,” Phoney, who had his share of encounters with nosy reporters, patted his shoulder in sympathy.

“How did – wait, what happened while I was asleep?”

“That’s the combination of things I mentioned. After your chapter was released the yesterday, people have been asking a lot of questions and when word got around that your were quitting your job and packing up your house, then people sorta put two and two together. And,” Phoney shot a hard look up the hall towards the living room and kitchen, “Smiley let it slip while buying supplies.”

Fone covered his face with a hand and groaned, “Oh, jeez, and here I was hoping to slip out of Boneville with no fuss. What can you do?”

“Nothing. It’s freedom of the press. All we can do is keep them off the lawn, but that doesn’t mean they can’t come around. And, uh, I don’t want to pile it on, but I got a call from the Boneville Explorers Society . . .”

“Noooo,” Fone’s other hand joined his across his face. “If I go back to bed, will what you just said be a dream?”

“They are going to send a representative to interview us tomorrow.”

Fone lowered his hands, “Wait, you can send off reporters, but not the Boneville Explorer’s Society?”

“It’s complicated. For one thing, they think we’re doing this to refute their findings of the Valley not existing and if we don’t talk to them, then they’ll talk to the reporters and you’ve seen how that went last time . . .”

Oh, Fone remembered what happened alright. When they came back with stories of the Valley, they were encountered by the Boneville Explorers’ Society and an interview was set up. The three of them went and relived their experiences and days after the interview, the Society launched a public statement decrying them as liars and fraudsters, even using their background as orphans and Phoney’s history of greedy schemes as fodder to back their claims. For a long time afterwards, they had been jeered and taunted by other Bones, even the ones who had lend an interested ear to their stories.

“How do we know they won’t do the same thing again?” Fone groaned. “I can’t leave you here alone to deal with the second fallout.”

“Hey, this time we got the advantage because of your book. The Bones of Boneville are eager to read it and a lot of them want it to be true. If the Society tries to drop a bad egg on it, then they might find themselves the unpopular ones. They’re being careful by sending a rep before releasing anything to the press.”

“Seriously, Phoney, your reputation . . .”

“Hey, hey, Fone, listen. We’re going to be fine. We aren’t some stragglers dragged in from the desert. We actually got cred in Boneville now. You’re a beloved teacher and writer, Smiley is liked by everyone in Boneville, and I’m the popular, married Bone of the year whose wife happens to be the daughter of long running Mayor. They can’t throw too much mud our way without getting their own hands dirty.” Phoney threw an arm across Fone’s shoulders and they walked together into the kitchen. “C’mon, let’s get something to eat before Smiley and Bartleby eats it all.”

They went into the kitchen and Fone noticed that Benjamin was hunched with his book held close to his face propped on his knees. He wondered if Benjamin was still angry at his father, but then perhaps there was no need for anger since he was able to listen in on the meeting last night.

“Hey, Fone!” Smiley called with both hands filled with burgers. “Remember that hay cart we got in Atheia?”

“Yeah, the one we traveled back to Bonevilled on. What about it?”

“Farmer Joe Bone still had it in his barn! We fixed it as good as new and we bought a couple of oxen to pull it,” Smiley beamed at him.

Fone was amazed at Smiley’s sound judgment. He could carry more supplies and travel faster if they had a cart. “Yes, that could work – but I would have to feed the oxen . . .”

“No worries. We filled the cart with plenty of hay. It’s a big cart so we’ll have lots of room for everyone.”

And the hay would stay dry in the desert where it rarely rained. It was a good plan and he liked it. “Yeah, that sounds great Smiley. Thanks for the help. I mean it.” He looked around Smiley at the large fury form of Bartleby, “Are you coming with us, Bartleby?”

The Rat Creature, who was chewing up three burgers in his at the same time, and when he swallowed, Fone could visible see the large lump slide down his throat. Once the swallow was well on its way to his stomach, Bartleby licked his chomps and said, “I don’t want to, but you guys have done so much for me since I was a cub, that I gotta repay you guys somehow. And I think a part of me wants to go back to the Valley and see what the Rat Creatures have made of themselves since I left them.”

Fone mentally flinched. Going back to the Valley was like returning to a second home for him and Smiley, but for Bartleby it was a nest of bad memories. He patted Bartleby’s furry arm comfortingly, “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. Smiley will understand.”

“He will, but he needs me to go with him,” Bartleby glanced at Smiley and saw he was at the fridge getting ice tea. He leaned down close, almost getting on all fours as he had done before as a cub. He spoke in a low, hissy whisper, “He needs me to go. His leg has been hurting him.”

Fone whispered back, “Yes, I know his legs hurts sometimes . . .”

Bartleby shook his large head, “No, it hurts him all the time now. A lot. When he went with you to Boneville Publishers, he overdid it and he was almost in tears that night.”

Fone looked at Smiley who was favoring his leg as he carried the tea jug to the kitchen counter. “Has he been to a doctor?”

“Smiley hates doctors and doesn’t want you and Phoney to worry,” Bartleby replied. Perhaps fearing he would be blamed, he said hastily, “I’ve been trying to get him to see a doctor for years.”

Fone’s eyes widen, “For years! He’s been dealing with it for years!”

Fone remembered back to the day when Smiley hurt his leg. He had been in class teaching when Ruby Bone, the school secretary, knocked on the classroom door and hastily beckoned him. He went to the door expecting her to request a student or tell him about some emergency of a student’s parent was in an accident. It was an emergency for him. Smiley had been rushed to the hospital.

It was before he bought his car and Ruby Bone offered to take him to the hospital. Fone took her up the offer and at the hospital, Bartleby was waiting outside on street. The hospital staff wouldn’t let him inside at all and this infuriated Fone. He charged inside startling patients and nurses and stormed to the front desk where he berated the receptionist.

“BARTLEBY IS SMILEY’S BEST FRIEND!!! HOW DARE YOU MAKE HIM STAY OUTSIDE WHILE HE’S WORRIED TO DEATH ABOUT HIS FRIEND!!!” He roared in her face.

He was almost forcibly removed by the orderlies, but Phoney appeared and threatened to sue the hospital if they didn’t take their hands off his cousin. After dealing with the Hospital Director, Bartleby was allowed inside as long as he was accompanied by an orderly.

When the car fell on Smiley, it had nearly slivered his leg. If Bartleby hadn’t been close by to lift the car off him and take him to the hospital, he would have surely died of blood loss or lost the leg entirely. The bone was broken in half and the muscles and tendons had been severely twisted and torn. They didn’t hold out hope that he could walk again unaided.

For weeks, Smiley recovered in the hospital with his leg up in a thick cast and it had taken months of physical therapy to just get around on a cane. And then years of recovery, he could get around without the cane. Phoney had covered his hospital bills, doctor visits, and medicine and that was something Smiley promised to pay back one day.

Fone watched Smiley, thinking about the journey ahead and knew it would be hellish for that leg of his. The Valley had its fair share of healers, but they didn’t amount to what Boneville science and doctors could do for Smiley.

Fone sighed and resigned himself to eat a hamburger before he began puzzling out what to do about Smiley’s leg, the reporters, and Boneville Explorers’ Society rep. So many worries and he hadn’t even left for the Valley yet.

If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed the book Benjamin was reading. On the cover, it was title, _Survival Tactics for Desert Travel._


	6. Chapter 6

Fone had to force himself to eat in order to keep Penelope from lecturing him again about maintaining his strength for the upcoming journey. There was just simply too much to do and to ever think he had once believed that he could have stole away back to the Valley without any Bone, save for his cousins, noticing his departure. Now there’s reporters, Boneville Explorers’ Society sticking their noses in, and now Smiley’s leg. 

Okay, one thing at a night and don’t panic. How did Gran’ma Ben do it? Or Lucius, or even Thorn? They were all leaders who kept a cool head in a crisis and didn’t panic or get overwhelmed as he was feeling now. Or perhaps, they were feeling overwhelmed, but maintained a calm image in the face of danger. 

Alright, one problem at a time and he didn’t have to take it all on his own. Gran’ma Ben delegated duties to those that can handle it. First, Smiley’s leg. He would have to overcome his distaste for doctors and go to one to be cleared for the journey or not go at all which would break his heart. 

Then just like that the solution came to him from the corner of his eye. Penelope. She was sitting next to her husband, speaking quietly with him. Penelope would be able to convince or intimidate Smiley into see a doctor tomorrow and if he couldn’t be cleared to go, then Penelope would be the one to tell him he couldn’t go, in fact, she would forbid him from going. Her word was law for Smiley and he would readily accept her advice before his cousins. Once he finished eating, he would take Penelope aside and tell her about his leg pain and she would take over.

Feeling a burden already lifted, Fone’s appetite came back and he hastily ate another hamburger and realized his other problems weren’t too bad. Everything was almost packed up, the cart was ready, and the supplies bought. Tomorrow he would have to tie up any loose ends and pack or buy whatever he believed he would need for the journey. Phoney can help with the reporters, but the one thing that worried Fone the worst now was the Boneville Explorers’ Society. 

It felt like a heavy rock had been dropped in his stomach when he thought of them. They were formed after Boneville was founded by Big Johnson Bone to explore unknown regions. They help found many colonies and such cities as Bonenoplis and New Bone York. The Explorers had been the subject of stories and tall tales for generations; comic books, novels, biographies, and even television and movies told of their exploits in unexplored regions of the world. Even Fone had devoured their tales of adventure and heroism. 

However, today, exploration was considered defunct as most Bones considered the unknown world now known and explored and the Explorers’ members had grown old and well settled in their semi-retired lives as scholars and historians only stirring themselves for elitist events or to give a guest lecture at the Boneville College for Young Minds. It had been a severe blow when the Explorers denounced the Valley as a lies and illusions of grandeur by three hard on their luck cousins led by the town’s infamous cheat and liar.

Fone could still remember the jeers and offended looks as he walked down the street with some Bones even calling him a liar to his face. He would hate for Phoney to deal with that alone while he and Smiley left for the Valley. Well, forewarned was forearmed, so he began prepping himself by thinking of what questions the Society rep will throw at them in the interview.

And it seemed he wasn’t the only one talking thinking about the interview as Benjamin said, “Why don’t we have Thorn show up tomorrow for the interview? She can tell that Society goon that she’s real and so is the Valley.”

Before anyone could speak, Fone sternly said, “No. We are not bringing her into this. I am not going to let those bastards use her as a dart board for their debunking remarks. They’ll call her a freak of nature or some long lost indigenous species that just learned to walk upright and wear clothes like Bartleby.”

“’sides,” Smiley leaned in with a stack of burgers stacked on his plate, “the reporters will tear down the door to interview her and think about how Boneville would react. She’ll be harassed by fans and the media, she may never be able to leave. It’s best to leave her out of this as much as possible.

Benjamin conceded by ducking his face into his book and stayed quiet the rest of the evening. Fone went over his supplies and made a list of things he would need. Penelope kept herself busy by cleaning up after Smiley and Bartleby and occasionally checked on Benjamin. Fone wondered how she felt about his Valley journey and couldn’t help but sense her lips purse with disapproval whenever she saw him. 

Then he remembered Lindsey Bone and realized that Penelope might still be sore over his rejecting her friend. Well, he couldn’t let this stand between them as he may never see Penelope again after tomorrow. 

“Hey, I’m sorry about Lindsey Bone.” He approached Penelope in the kitchen. Smiley and Bartleby were double checking supplies in the cart with flashlights and Phoney was making a few late night calls to his secretary. “Lindsey is a sweet Bonette and . . .”

“You don’t have to apologize, Fone. In fact, I should be the one to apologize.” Penelope laid a towel over a towel rack and turned to him with tired eyes. It was unnerving to see her so stired as the last time he had seen her exhausted was the day she gave birth to Benjamin. “It’s my fault for throwing Bonettes at you to see which would stick. Phoney warned me in the beginning that you weren’t over Thorn, but I just couldn’t believe that someone could be still be hung up over someone that dumped them for so many years.” She turned her gaze to Phoney who was pace in his usual gait when the phone clutched to his face. “But then I think about how I would be if Phoney ever left me and I believe I could understand. No one can compare when you find that right person. I just consider myself lucky that Phoney returned my feelings and we live a happy life together.”

And just as Fone believed he was getting off, her dark eyes flashed at him, “But there is no excuse for being rude and breaking a Bonette’s heart, Fone Bone.”

Fone grimaced, but quickly deflected it by telling her about Smiley’s leg. 

* * * 

Fone didn’t think he could get anymore sleep after sleeping all day, but it seemed his body either needed more rest or was gearing up for the tribulations that lay ahead. 

Thankfully, Smiley wouldn’t be one of them as soon as Penelope heard of Smiley being in pain, she forgot about lecturing Fone about his treatment of Lindsey Bone and stalked his cousin. By the time Fone had retired to bed again, Penelope had grinded Smiley down to conceding to a doctor’s visit and gave Bartleby orders to have Smiley ready in the morning for when she took him for his appointment which she made to Dr. Funi Bone. 

Journeying with Thorn seemed far off, like something on the other side of a treacherous river or deep pit that he had to cross. What eased his mind was that Phoney seemed to taking the Society’s visit in stride and he was able to sleep.

* * * 

Phoney stayed up staring at the ceiling, beads of sweating clinging to his brow and around his crinkle uni-brow. Too many things were happening and he could barely maintain the calm demeanor for Fone and Smiley’s sake. 

Why the hell Fone have to write that book? Why the hell did Thorn have to com back to draw him back to the Valley? And why the hell did have to go that wretched place in the first place? He twisted and turned in bed and even Penelope’s solid sleeping presence next to him couldn’t calm him. 

His age old fears came creeping back from his distant childhood. After their parents all died due to the plague that devastated Boneville in their childhood, the three of them had been placed in an orphanage along with all the other little Bones that lost their parents to the disease.

Once the ravages of the disease had passed and Boneville began to recover, homes were found for the little Bones, but it was easier to find a home for one Bone, than it was for three cousins. Once Phoney caught wind of them being separated, he collected his cousins and packed their sparse belongings and ran away. For a long time, they lived in a clubhouse at the edge of town, dodging truancy officers and orphanage staff. They sustained themselves through stealing pies off windowsills and through Phoney’s various schemes and plans which some worked and others backfired. 

When they became young adults and too old for the orphanage to take charge of them against their will, they took on odd jobs to support themselves after they outgrew the clubhouse. And in time, Phoney managed to struck it rich.

For so long, he had gained riches and power to keep what remained of his family together. And when they had came to the Valley, he had to actually fight with his cousins to keep them together. Fone had his obsession with Thorn and Smiley’s devotion to Bartleby had been obstacles and in the end, Smiley was content to bring his pal back to Boneville with them and Fone was able to let Thorn go to return.

Now it was happening again. He was loosing his cousins to the Valley and he was letting it happened. Not that there was ever anything he could do to stop it. Fone was determine to go and once Smiley made up his mind to do something, he did it. 

And a small part of him demanded he should go with them to the Valley, to keep them out of trouble and to make certain they both came back. But both of them wouldn’t return. He knew the moment Thorn asked for Fone’s help, the very moment he saw the infatuation in his eyes for her, he knew that he would never return to Boneville. Phoney would never understand how a Bone would be so willing to through himself into an emotional wood chipper.

No, he couldn’t go to the Valley. He had what he had wanted since he was a young Bone: security in having a family and a home. When Penelope announced her pregnancy, he almost fainted in terror. How could he be a parent!? He could barely remember his own parents and he had lost them at such a young age that he learned nothing of parenting from them. 

It had been Fone who comforted him when he retreated to his office to fret. He came in with a bottle of whiskey to celebrate and they both sat down to have shared a toast. Fone, seeing how Phoney’s glass trembled in his hand laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Phoney, you are going to be a great dad.” 

“Dunno what you’re talking about, cuz. Me? Somebody’s father? I don’t have it in me. I only got room for get rich quick schemes and nefarious plots. You know me.”

“I do know you and that’s why I’m saying you are going to be a great dad,” Fone set his glass down on the table. “You took care of Smiley and me for years and during that year in the Valley, you had plenty of chances of cutting us loose and taking off without us, but you didn’t. You stayed with us through thick and thin because you have more love in your heart for family than you realize. That kid is going to be luckiest kid in Boneville to have you as a father.”

Had that been true? Phoney wished to think that he had done everything he could to be a good father. He remembered when Benjamin was born.

Those nine months had been a turmoil or preparation, excitement, dread, and expectation. Penelope had been insistent on going to every lamaze class with him as her partner whether he liked it or not. And she wanted his input on every piece of furniture for the nursery from the wall paint to the crib to the waste basket for diapers. He was bewildered as he had no idea what would be best for a nursery, yet Penelope told him that as parents all decisions for the baby should be made together. 

It had seemed all so unreal. Like prepping for a storm that may never come. There was the nursery set, Penelope had her baby shower, the gifts from friends and families, and Penelope getting bigger and bigger. It didn’t seem real at all. Then it came crashing down when he got the call in the office. Penelope’s water broke and she was on her way to the hospital. Then it all came crashing down.

He sat in his office feeling light headed and beside himself with fear. He kept looking for his car keys, forgetting where he laid them and not thinking to ask his secretary to drive him. Then Fone arrived in his car and drove Phoney to the hospital. They waited together in the waiting room with Smiley and Bartleby who were passing out cigars to any Bone who passed (though nearly half of them were smoked by Smiley himself).

When the doctor came out announcing it was a boy, all but Phoney threw their hands up in a whoop of joy. Phoney could only sag in the chair as if the entire weight of the world was on him. He could barely feel himself rising to his feet and following the nurse to the delivery room.

Penelope lay on the bed, a white sheet pulled to her waist, and a blue bundle in her arms. She looked exhausted, with her hair down, lines around her eyes, and her eyes stared blissfully at the bundle. She noticed him coming closer and beamed at him. “Meet your son, Phoney.”

When Phoney saw the tiny white face with closed eyes and small nose and hair thin eyebrows, his world shifted, rocked, and realigned around this small Bone. It was like falling in love again, but so much deeper than just the heart, it went down to his very being and Phoney knew that he would throw himself in front of an oncoming train before he let this little Bone suffer one whit of pain.

No, he couldn’t, wouldn’t leave Benjamin and Penelope behind to go traipsing around the Valley again. Not even for his beloved cousins.

So was this what it was to let someone go? It hurt. Like they were taking pieces of him away with them. Before the Valley he would have fought tooth and nail to keep them from going or he would have schemed behind their backs to keep them from going. But here he was now, helping them to leave and it was breaking his heart. What would life be without Fone and Smiley in it?

“Phoney?” A tired voice spoke and the mattress and blankets shifted next to him. Penelope’s dark eyes gazed at him through eyes swollen from sleep. “You woke up?”

“I never went to sleep,” Phoney admitted.

Penelope rolled onto her side, her hair curlers chiming from the movement. She tucked an arm across his waist and drew herself close to him. “You’re worried about your cousins.” It wasn’t a question as she understood well what was keeping her husband awake. 

“They’re going back to that dangerous place and I know Fone is going there to stay.” 

Silence followed his words and there was void where Penelope would have reassured him his cousins would be safe and, of course, Fone is coming back. But there was none as Penelope was a pragmatic Bonette who respects her husband too much to try to placate him as if he were a worried child.

Instead, she took his hand and held it tightly. “You’ve done your part in their lives, dear. You’ve taken care of them and kept your family together. They’re both grown Bones and they can made choices in their lives.”

“It’s not that. It’s – I love Smiley and it would kill me if anything happened to him, but it’s Fone I’m most worried about.” Phoney turned to his wife, the anxiety etched onto his face. “He’s always been different, ever since we were little Bones. He was the smallest of us back then and he always had his nose in a book and the other kids picked on him for it and it was Smiley and me that stood up for him. He’s the kid you see sitting alone in the lunchroom or off on his own on the playground. Fone got along real well with everybody, he’s a great guy, but he never belonged anywhere, never really made a real connection with anyone . . .that is until he met Thorn.”

Phoney spoke her name so bitterly he might as well spat it out. “If she’s not the death of him, then I know she’ll crush him until he’s nothing more than shell of his former self.”

“From what I read of is manuscript, she doesn’t seem like a bad girl,” Penelope said thoughtfully. She had made it her mission to skim Fone’s manuscript as it had been the source of so much strife in her family. She wasn’t able to read the whole thing in one sitting, but she read enough to understand. “In fact, I think I know why Fone is so fascinated with her and why she can’t return his feelings.”

“You do?” Phoney asked.

“I’m not as big a bookworm as Fone, but I’ve read enough of the same books as he to understand what he would see in a girl. Thorn is like all the women in all the books he ever read. She’s beautiful, brave, smart, strong, exotic, moral, and adventurous. She’s the combination of all the heroines he read about in books. She’s the embodiment of every attractive quality someone such as he would see in a girl, but the sad part of it is that she can’t love him back because she’s flawed. She knows she’s flawed and can never be the thing he believes her to be so if she opens up to him, loves him back, let’s him in to see her for what she truly is, then it would hurt him more than her rejection ever could. So she keeps him at arms length to protect him.”

Phoney was again amazed by Penelope’s insightful observations. “So what’s going to happen to them in the Valley?”

Penelope stared up at the ceiling, her hands laced on her stomach in deep thought. “I’m not sure. I’m no psychic or a shrink, but I think the pattern will continue. Fone will continue to fawn over Thorn and she’ll continue to ignore it all the while not doing anything to discourage it. At least, that is unless something happens and one of them breaks that cycle. They’ll either come away from it as stronger for it or hurt,” then she gave him a kind smile and touched his cheek in a tender caress, “and there’s nothing you can do about that. Fone and Thorn are both adults who have to come to terms with their relationship themselves. I know he’s your cousin and you don’t have him to be hurt, but sometimes you got to let the little Bone get burned so he understands fire hurts.”

Phoney kissed her and held her close. When the kiss ended, he whispered, “You’re not tired, are you?”

Penelope smiled so brightly, he could see it in the dark. “No, but before we get hot and heavy, there’s one thing I want to talk about. Have you noticed Benjamin being so quiet? You would think he’d be running around excited over what’s happening.”

“I think he’s sulking because he’s still sore at me for not letting him meet Thorn,” Phoney muttered. 

“You should talk to him tomorrow.”

He sighed into her shoulder, “I’ll try, hon, I will, but I got so much to do tomorrow. I’ll spend time with him after Fone and Smiley leave. Promise.”

“I’m holding you to that. Now come here.”

* * * 

Benjamin stared up at the ceiling just as his father was doing just down the hall. He was of two minds. One was telling him what he planned was a terrible idea and the other was saying that he would never get another chance like this again. Not even if he waited a hundred years. 

He was ready as he was ever going to be and his plan was sound. He still had his knapsack from his school camping trip last year and he hadn’t spent years in the Bone Scouts wilderness survival lessons for nothing. He bought his own supplies along with the ones for Fone Bone and tuck them away in his bag hidden beneath his bed. Tomorrow, he would smuggle it into Fone Bone’s cart while everyone was dealing with the Society rep. And then the morning of Fone and Smiley’s departure, he would hide beneath the hay in the cart and wouldn’t make his appearance until they were too far from Boneville to send him back on his own. They’d have no choice, but to take him along. 

He’d have to be careful though. If Mom or Dad found out what he was planning they would ground him, even lock him away to keep him from going after Uncle Fone. He couldn’t let them do that, he’s not a little Bone anymore. It was like Smiley said, it was a family legacy. His uncles and father went to the Valley so now it should be his turn to go. It was his turn for adventure.

Boneville was his birthplace and where he grew up and he did love it, but the problem with it was that it was too predictable. Everything was the same each day. Everyone went about their lives with little to no change each day and if someone tried to do something out of the norm, everyone was alarmed or even offended. And then that Bone is regarded as the oddball of the town until some other Bone makes the mistake of changing their appearance or routine.

As Benjamin went to sleep, he didn’t consider the dangers he could face in the Valley, how frighten and upset his parents would be, or how he could become an added burden to his Uncles, or that this journey would have its own turmoils in store for him. 

* * * 

When Fone rose in the morning, he was surprised at how refresh he felt. He went into the kitchen and made coffee and remarked on how well he was feeling until he spied movement outside his window. On the other side of the street was a bright red car where a Bone wearing a fedora with a tag with the words press tucked into the band. He held up a camera and took a picture. The sudden flash hurt his eyes and he yanked the curtain down, not knowing if they were taking a picture of the house or of him through the window.

Then it all came crashing down on him. The reporters hounding him and the visit from the Society Rep. He took a long drink of his coffee and washed out the mug. He made a list last night of the things he needed and he had yet to go through his possessions to choose what he wanted to take. That should take up his morning, at least until Phoney and Smiley arrived for lunch. It was an unspoken agreement they would face the Society together as they did before. 

He went into his room and through the closets. He took out his shirts and chose the five he liked most and packed them away. He tried on the coat Smiley and Bartleby bought. It was a good thick one as winters in Valley came very quickly and suddenly. The leather sole boots were snug and warm, enough to protect his feet. Though most Bones tend to forego wearing footwear, save for the Bonettes who prefer to wear shoes that match their outfits, they will put on galoshes and winter boots to protect against rain and snow. 

He found an old pair of glasses with the prescription still good and he tuck these away in a glasses case and put them away with the rest of his toiletries which consisted of an extra bottle of soap and toothpaste with a new toothbrush. He made sure to bring the things he remember wishing he had during his first months in the Valley.

He laid his selected belongings on the desk and went about storing his clothing and other possessions in a chest he would leave to Phoney and Penelope. And now that he was nothing about, he should bequeath what’s left of his belongings and assets. He trusted Phoney to care of any financial responsibility, but he felt that he needed to provide some form of writing to assist him. 

Fone spent the next hour working on a letter to bequeath his assets under Phoney’s control. He thought for a moment and then added a byline where his assets were split in half. Half for Smiley and Bartleby upon his return to the Boneville and the other half to go into a trust fund for Benjamin when he came of age. He knew whatever he left behind wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket of what Phoney and Penelope could provide him, but it had to go somewhere.

Then he remember the book. That was another kettle of fish that needed his attention. He hadn’t had any time to talk about with Phoney and it seemed that Phoney till intended on printing the book, if only to keep Benny Bone from monopolizing it. 

Fone rubbed his face in frustration. Just as he took care of one problem, another reared its ugly head and he was going to leave tomorrow! He was certain there was a lot he needed to do to get ready for the book too. 

He heard the door open and shut from the living room. He froze, believing the reporters had finally gotten the gall to come into his home to force an interview. Then he heard Phoney’s voice calling his name. 

“In here!” He rose to his feet, taking the letter from the typewriter and taking it with him. 

Phoney was tossing an envelope on the coffee table and shrugging out of a long coat. “I pulled the collar up to hide my face, but I think they still knew it was me.”

“I wasn’t expecting you until later,” Fone said, pleased to see Phoney so soon. 

“Well, you and I got a lot to talk about. Like your estate and assets . . .”

“Already ahead of you. Here.” 

Phoney took the letter and read it. He nodded in approval. “Good, you’re ahead of the game as I thought. You don’t have to leave anything to Benjamin and Smiley thought. I could donate it to the school or library in your name.”

“No, I want them to have it. Put it into a trust fund for Benjamin and for Smiley, just gradually shovel it into his account in the bank when he’s not looking. He won’t take it otherwise.” He folded the letter and tucked it away into his coat pocket. “I got some paperwork for you to sign regarding the book. Just some formality stuff to keep Benny off my back after you’re gone.”

“Sure, I’ll sign whatever you need me to.” Fone sat down, reaching for the envelope. 

“Also, the editor I hired asked if you wanted to write a foreword for the book.” Phoney took the easy arm chair and leaned forward. “Ya know, just a dedication or something.”

“Yeah, I think I can write something up.” Fone looked at Phoney and said kindly, “You don’t have to do this, ya know? Publish the book, I mean.”

Phoney shook his head, “You know I have to. If I don’t, Benny will be all over it. He would keep publishing those samples and he might even hire a ghost writer to ‘finish the book’.” He raised his hands to form quotation marks as he spoke. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle whatever happens when I publish the book.” 

“Yeah, but what about the Society? You’ll still have them to contend with after I leave and I hate that we’re leaving you alone to deal with that.”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that. And I have an idea about that.” Phoney leaned forward with a leer across his face. “Last time, the Society took us by surprise. We had no idea they were assholes nor that they wouldn’t believe or how publicly they would shame us. I say this time, we get ahead of the game.”

“How?”

“I invited a reporter to come for an exclusive interview.”

Fone blinked. “Seriously? I thought you told me not to talk to any reporters.”

“Not alone. I went ahead and told Smiley come over when he was finished with the doctor. The three of us, together, are going to tell the truth and have it out there before the Society has a chance to decry us again.”

“Would that work?”

“It’s a gamble, but I think the dice will roll in our favor. The Bones are hungry for information about the Valley like they were when we came back. They actually want to believe its real, they want to know the truth and we can give it to them before the Society can throw us under the bus again.”

Fone digested this idea slowly, watching the way Phoney’s uni-brow wavered when he was in the heat of explaining a scheme. “What would we say?”

“That’s the beauty of it. We talk only about your leaving and how much you’re going to miss Boneville, but in your heart of hearts, your place is in the Valley. If they got questions about the Valley itself and what happened there, we direct them to buy the book.” Then seeing the frown on Fone’s face, Phoney quickly said, “No, this isn’t about advertising or me making a mint off your book. It’s to stay ahead of the Society. Think of it like this. Fone Bone, a mild manner teacher who in the past disappeared for a year and returned with tales of high adventure, but was shamed into silence by a powerful group of stuffy old Bones through public ridicule. So he becomes part of the community, teaching the students and befriending the parents, but all the while writing his memories in a memoir as he had left his heart behind in that mystical Valley. Then one day, it comes out into the public eye due to a well meaning family member, who we’ll leave unnamed, and the support and love from his readers inspire him to return to that Valley, to reconnect with the woman he left behind and with a heavy heart leaves behind his friends and family . . .”

“Stop, stop, you’re making me out to be some tragic figure,” Fone felt his face going red and sweat beading on his brow.

“A tragic hero,” Phoney corrected. “Or the underdog everyone roots for. We have to paint you up in gold so that even if the Society tries to call you a liar, they end up looking like the elitist bigwigs they are. We give our interview to the reporter than keep mum about it during our meeting with the Society rep so they think that the only word will be theirs in the papers and won’t they be in for a surprise when your story on the front page.”

Fone couldn’t believe it. It sounded like something that would happen to a figure in a book or a story. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling overwhelmed. Something like this was coming out of nowhere and Phoney was spearheading it. Usually, he would get ahead of Phoney’s schemes, but this time, he was felt lost on what to say or do. “I don’t know about this . . .”

“Fone, trust me on this. We need to get control of this before they do because otherwise it’s going to be the whole Valley Sham again. It won’t hurt me too badly, but you know, I can’t stand the thought of those bastards thumbing their noses at us again. And for once, just once, I want to see the Society get a kick in the ass.”

“And you think this will work?” Fone asked.

Phoney nodded, “Yes, I do.”

Fone rubbed his chin mulling it over one more time, then said, “Let’s do it.”

* * * 

The interview wasn’t as horrible as Fone had imagined it to be. The reporter was inquisitive, but respectful. He listened without making assumptions or accusations and made careful notes in his notebook. Fone wasn’t certain if Phoney had made some sort of deal with him earlier or perhaps chosen this particular reporter.

And it also helped that during lunch they worked out what they would say and how they would answer any questions. Fone felt they were well prepared for the interview until the reporter directly asked him a question they hadn’t counted on. Phoney answered every question professionally as if he was conducting a press conference, Smiley made funny jokes and jabs at the reporter, and Fone nervously answered his questions and hoped that he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. 

“Mr. Fone Bone, what is your feelings towards the Explorer’s Society now? Do you still have hard feelings for their publicly calling you and your cousins delusional years ago?”

Fone blinked, surprised by the question. From the corner of his eye, he saw Phoney’s uni-brow jerk and Smiley’s usual beaming grin fade at the edges. Phoney looked at him and without words communicated that Fone had to be careful how he worded his answer. If he insulted the Society, then the newspapers could turn it into a mudslinging fest. And if he was answered too meekly, then it would sound like some egotistical Bone begging for attention. 

Fone clasped his hands together between his knees and said in a strong, steady voice that surprised. “No, I don’t harbor any anger or malice towards the Explorers’ Society. In fact, I respect them whole heartedly and I understand why they felt the need to denounce our story, but I do regret that they were so quick to dismiss our story. They believe that everything that could be discovered has already been discovered and I disagree. There is so much more out there than we know and it’s all out there waiting to be explored. I grew up on the tales of Big Johnson Bone and the explorers that followed behind him and I imagined myself as one of the Explorers, paving the way for Bone expansion. It came as a shock of how dismissive they have became of the possibilities of other worlds out there for us to explore.”

The reporter was hastily scribbling away in his notebook and from the corner of Fone’s eye, he saw Phoney give him a quick, sudden, thumbs up.


	7. Chapter 7

The doctor was against Smiley traveling. Yet, knowing that any orders of staying home would be ignored, he prescribed a pain medicine and a knee brace for Smiley with strict instructions that Smiley was not to over do it on their journey.

“He said since he couldn’t stop me being a fool, then he could at least let me go off as an informed foot,” Smiley told Fone and Phoney when they inquired of his doctor’s visit. 

Fone supposed it was enough to get them to the Valley and he would made certain he saw whatever passes as a doctor there. He turned to Phoney, “What did you think of the reporter?”

“He’s a good guy. He doesn’t fill in the lines to get a headline and the editor doesn’t do sensationalism to sell papers,” Phoney said leaning back in his chair with one foot propped on a knee. “We just have to wait and see how it turns out and hope that it ends up in our favor.”

From the way Phoney bobbed his foot, Fone could tell that he was nervous, that he was overthinking his plan and having second thoughts. Fone hoped that it works out for Phoney as he and Smiley would be long gone after it goes down. 

He busied himself with packing and once he finished, he double checked his belongings and supplies. Then he paced the hall thinking of anything he needed to do before tomorrow morning. He knew he nearly had everything ready. He just had to write the foreword to the book, but he was too nervous to focus on it now as any minute the Society rep would show up.

And show up he did. When Fone saw him, he stared. The Bone was surprisingly young. He could only be a few years Benjamin’s senior and he wore a brown buttoned vest over a white shirt with a black tie tucked down the front. He was one of the few male Bones to grow head hair and his hair was bright red and neatly slicked with so much gel it gleamed in the light and combed down the sides to form a neat straight line along his scalp. He had a pair of glasses perched at the end of his bulbous nose and they were so small that Fone decided that they were more for decoration than for any actual vision problems. 

The Society rep walked with a straight back with a leather bound book clutched to chest. He held out a hand to Phoney who had opened the door. “Good afternoon, I’m Cedric Bone. I’m here as a representative for the Boneville Explorers’ Society. I take it you are Mr. Phonicible P. Bone?” 

His hand barely touched Phoney’s in a brief handshake before returning to clutch his notebook. Fone couldn’t help, but take offense at that as the lad spoke in a high strung tone as if he rather be anywhere else but here and certainly didn’t seem to want to touch Phoney anymore than necessary. 

If Phoney took offense, he didn’t show it. “Yes. Aren’t you Fredrick Bone’s grandson?”

Fone blinked. Fredrick Bone was one of the head of the Society and the loudest voice in shaming them. Yes, now that he knew of Cedric’s relationship with Fredrick, he was beginning to see a resemblance. Now why did the Society send a kid when last time they had met with several senior members? 

Cedric was invited inside and as the young Bone walked in, his nose tilted in distaste at Fone’s meager home, Phoney caught Fone’s gaze and winked and tapped his nose. Alright, somehow Society sending Cedric was a good thing, but Fone couldn’t see how. 

He and Smiley let Phoney take the lead. He went through the host formalities of offering Cedric a drink or something to eat which were both politely declined. 

“I rather make this visit brief, if you don’t mind, Mr. Bone.” Cedric opened his book and took out a silver ink pen which was tucked in the binding. 

“Of course, we’re ready when you are.” Phoney said taking a seat which was a cue for both Smiley and Fone to take suit.

Cedric perched the open notebook on his knee and looked up with a pen poised over the paper. “When did you start writing your book, Mr. Fone Bone?”

Fone swallowed. “I can’t give you an exact date, but it was about 6 or 8 years ago or so.”

Cedric wrote with elaborate pen strokes with the book tilted away from them. “Did you collaborate with your cousins in writing this book?”

Fone furrowed his brow, his eyebrow dipping low. He said the word collaborate as if instead of writing a book, he was going to commit a crime. “I kept it to myself.” He wanted to add that he never meant to publish it, but Phoney was strict that they only answered questions, never volunteering information.

“Act like you’re in court and you’re the defendant giving testimony. Don’t give away information, don’t give them any rope to hang us. If it gets out of hand, let me handle it.

His eyes following the twirling pen as it scribbled. The Cedric scrutinize him over the book, “And you are leaving for . . . the Valley . . .when?”

He wanted to say, “your” Valley. Fone realized, bitterly. Aloud, he said, “Tomorrow morning, early.”

“And do you have a map of how you’re going to get to . . . the Valley?”

He’s saying it as if it hurts him to say it or he could barely keep a straight face. Who is this punk? From the corner of his eye, he could see Smiley’s brow furrowed and his cigar tucked to the corner of his mouth which was a sign he was ready to put up his dukes. 

Fone leaned forward and answered smoothly, “I plan on using the same map as last time . . .”

“That you were run out of town?” Cedric popped in. His pen stopped scratching at the paper. “When Mr. Phoncible P. Bone made his announcement to run for mayor.”

Fone swallowed. Phoney had warned them that the rep might pull a gut shot like this and to be prepared for it. “That was a long time ago. Before you were born, I would think.” He couldn’t pass up the chance to point out the kid’s youth and inexperience.

Cedric’s face turned pink and his eyes narrowed. Whoops, he must have touched a sore spot for the lad. The youth cleared his throat, “But one still hears the stories about how you had plans to build an orphanage over a landfill and combining a petting zoo and a butcher’s shop into one facility. One can wonder if fancies like his runs in the family.”

“Hey!” Smiley raised his fists. “You wanna take this outside, chump?”

Phoney blocked Smiley with an arm before the taller Bone could rise to his feet. “He’s only joking, Smiley, right Mr. Cedric Bone?”

The weight in his voice broker no argument. Cedric cleared his throat again and adjusted his tie. “Of course, I was merely trying to make light of this . . . ordeal.”

“Let’s move onto the next question, please.”

“Of course.”

The rest of the interview went much like the last one except everything Fone said was received with a critical tilt of the eyebrow and tightening of the lips. By the time Cedric snapped his book closed, Fone was physically and emotionally exhausted as if he had just crossed a land mine field. 

“I’ll be reporting to my colleagues upon my findings later.” Cedric sniffed as he rose to his feet. Phoney didn’t offer to shake hands and nor did he. He seemed happy to leave and the cousins were glad to see him go. 

When the door shut behind him, Fone collapsed in a chair in a sigh, “What the hell was that?”

“Fredrick Bone’s grandson,” Smiley snorted, his bright smile taking time to return.

“I knew that. But what was with the attitude?”

Phoney, who was in the kitchen making coffee answered, “He’s a Junior Explorer’s Society member. And that’s a load of crock as he considers himself an Explorer when he never been outside of Boneville in his life.”

“Whoa, the Society has Junior members?” Fone asked wearily.

“It made up of children of Society members. It’s so the elitist don’t have to suffer having their children brush shoulders with commoners in the Bone Scouts.” Phoney came back with three mugs of coffee and passed them around. “Cedric is likely going to try to win brownie points with gramps by painting us up as crazies again.”

“Oh, no,” Fone moaned.

“No, don’t worry. We were expecting this,” Phoney said quickly and sat down. “We did the right thing by doing the newspaper interview first. And since the Society was so full of themselves to let a kid conduct the interview, it’ll make how they handled this look like a joke.”

And somewhere in Fone’s heart, a feather of pity appeared. “I hate to make a kid look bad.”

Phoney snorted, “It’ll do him some good to get knocked off his high horse at a young age and he’s hardly a kid. He’s in his junior year of Boneville’s Academy College. He’ll be fine.”

* * * 

As the day past, Fone’s anxiety chewed at him more and more. Tomorrow was it. He was going back to the Valley. He double, triple, checked his supplies and changed his mind about what to take and what to leave behind multiple times. Sometimes he imagined he would wake up in his bed and the events of the past few days never happened. 

The kitchen was rich with the dinner Phoney was preparing. Penelope and Benjamin had brought in groceries for what Penelope called a Fare Well dinner. Fone bent over maps spread across the coffee table with a pencil in hand tracing their route from Boneville. Smiley sat across from him, plucking strings at his lute.

“Nervous, Fone?” Smiley inquired.

“Why do you ask? Fone replied, looking up from the map.

“Because you have erased and redrew the same line four times already.” 

Fone looked at the pencil in his hand and at the map bearing erased marks and eraser crumbs. He grunted and laid the pencil aside and rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, I guess I am. It’s just that I keep expecting to wake up and this is all just a dream.”

“Need me t’ give ya a pinch?”

“No thanks, I think I pretty much understand this is not a dream.” Fone rubbed his eyes and couldn’t fathom how he was going to get the much needed sleep he was going to need for the trip tomorrow. He felt jittery as if ants were crawling through his veins. 

“Did you say your goodbyes to Phoney, yet?” Smiley asked.

Fone drew a breath, “Yes, we did. Did you?”

Smiley plucked a string which elicited a twang. “Yeah, Phoney and had threw back a couple of beers this morning, but it’s no big deal, he knows I’m coming back. It’s you that’s not coming back.”

Fone raised his eyes to Smiley’s. Did Smiley know he wasn’t going to come back? No, he never needed to tell Smiley anything as his taller cousin had always been so observant it borderline being a sixth sense. “We said our goodbyes.”

“Good,” Smiley said satisfied and tuned a lute string. “Benjamin’s been quiet.”

“Yeah, I think he’s still made at Phoney and sad that we’re leaving.”

“Yeah, sure,” Smiley said with a shrug. 

If Fone hadn’t been so nervous and had his wits about him, he would have noticed the knowing look Smiley cast to the window.

* * * 

Benjamin ducked low beneath the window, nearly performing a military crawl among the hedges. It had been hard to get away long enough to stash his bag in the cart. His mother kept pestering him to speak to his father, but then changed her mind and insisted he hang around his uncles who were too busy getting ready. Which was just as well, as he didn’t want anyone noticing his plans.

The bag was secured under the hay, among the many bags and supplies so an extra one shouldn’t be noticed. He already had a plan for how to catch up to them. He knew what route they were taking out of town and they would have to go by the park which he knew like the back of his hand during his young years as a Bone Scout. The plan was that after his uncles departed, he would hop on his bike and scoot to the park ahead of them. When they came by, he would jump onto the cart and hide beneath the hay with no one the wiser.

When he managed to get around the edge of the house, he got to his feet and meticulously checked himself for any bits of grass or straw. His mother had an eye for dirt whether it was on him or her favorite furniture and rugs. Once he was satisfied that he was clean, he went back inside through the back way, taking care not to let the door bang shut. He crept through the hall and to the bathroom and after taking a moment to still his heart and breathing, he casually came into the living room. 

Dad was spooning food onto bowls and plates for dinner and he took noticed of Benjamin when he came on. “Son, come over here a minute.”

Benjamin gulped. Had Dad gotten wind of his plan? No, he reassured himself, if he did, then his head would be steaming. Yet, he was still wary when he stroll over. “What is it, Dad?”

“I just want to say, I’m sorry that you’re made at me for the other night.”

It took him a moment to figure out what he was talking about then shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not mad anymore.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Phoney collected paper cups from he grocery bag and counted them out one for each of them. “I just don’t want you involved with the Valley. It’s bad enough you think it’s some fun adventurous place, but it is very dangerous.”

“I know, Dad,” Benjamin hoped this wasn’t going to be another long lecture. “I get that’s dangerous . . .”

“No, you don’t,” Phoney said firmly, raising his eyes to meet his sons. “You think of danger like some adventure novel where the heroes get into a few scraps and get lucky at the last minute or somehow manage to find a way out of whatever tricky situation they find themselves in. Danger is when people get hurt, when people loose their lives. I sat it first hand and up close during the siege. I . . . I killed someone during the siege of Atheia.”

It was like all the air had left Benjamin’s body. He stared at his father, uncertain he heard correctly. He swallowed, feeling a sudden detachment from his body, as if he wanted to be far away, but also wanted to be here for when his father spoke again.

Phoney sighed, his voice strained in telling a story that he had first told his cousins, then his wife, and had wished never to relay to his son. “Pawans and Rat Creatures were trying to break through the main doors into the inner city. Gran’ma Ben, she’s the Queen Mother of Atheia and one hell of a tactician and fighter. She had them open the doors giving us a chance to surprise attack them. In the melee, one of the Pawan came at me. I don’t know if he was trying to attack me or if he didn’t see me and was going after someone next to me or behind me, but it didn’t change what I did. I did it without thinking about, I just shoved my sword into his stomach and he – he made this sound, like a moan or a choke, but deeper, like it came from his belly up to his throat. And his eyes got wide, huge wide, and then he fell over.” 

Phoney fell silent, falling into the memory. Benjamin said nothing, barely breathing, waiting. Phoney visible swallowed and sighed, “I didn’t – couldn’t think of what I had done then, I was too afraid and trying to defend myself in the battle. I didn’t realize what I had done until we had routed the enemy and I saw the blood on my sword and even then I had no chance to think of it as I was worried about Smiley and Fone Bone. It wasn’t until afterwards, when everything had calm down, the war over, and Thorn crowned queen, that I began having nightmares about it. I managed to come to terms with it since then, but every now and again, it’ll hit from the side when I’m not looking. I had killed some guy.” 

Then his father’s eyes harden as he looked at Benjamin, every word uttered grave, “Danger isn’t fun. It’s not supposed to be. It’s frightening, painful, and traumatic. I know words can’t get across to you what it means and I have no intention of letting you find out for yourself how it is. I plan on having you spend the rest of your life in Boneville safe and sound and away from the Valley. You’ll grow up, go to college, meet a nice young Bonette, get married, and have a little Bone who’ll drive you as crazy as you drove me.”

Benjamin swallowed. “Sure, Dad, that sounds nice.”

Phoney didn’t know it, but his words only drove to encourage Benjamin in his scheme. The young Bone had been cowed by his father’s story of killing the Pawan soldier and his plans falter in the realization that perhaps sneaking away to the Valley wasn’t such a good idea after all. Yet, when Phoney spoke of his plans for his life, Benjamin rebelled.

No, he did not want the predictable life planned for him in Boneville. He wanted the adventure and the danger, despite what his father told him. It would be worth it, to have something more in his life, something beyond the mundane existence offered here. 

Any lingering doubts, any fears or regrets he had of leaving Boneville were erased now. Benjamin made a mental note to check his bike when he and his mother returned home for the night. 

* * * 

Fone expected another sleepless night, but when he woke up that morning; his heart jolted. It was time. It was time.

He leaped out of bed like a little Bone on Christmas morning, grabbing his glasses on the way. His bag hung on a hook by the door and he slung it over his shoulder before he realized he was shirtless. He paused at door when he noticed his nudity.

Years ago, when he took back his job at the library and then became a teacher, he wore dress shirts. Bones going nude wasn’t taboo, but a dressed Bone was considered more professional. Should he go out without clothes? He spent most of his time in the Valley bare. How would Thorn look at him? Would she appreciate him more for wearing clothes? She was a Queen now after all.

He dropped the bag and pulled on the shirt he had laid over the desk. It was linen and comfortable, cool, and would keep the sun off him. Maybe Thorn would find it fetching?

I’m afraid you’re going to go back to the Valley with the idea of wooing Thorn. 

Phoney’s words echoed in his head and he realized that there was some truth to them in that. What if this was a second chance? Oh, he was going to do everything in his power to save Thorn’s daughter, but what if something else happened along the way? What if her bid for his aide became something more? Would that be so bad?

No, he needed to get his head on straight. Today was the day, he was saying goodbye to Boneville and to Phoney, Penelope, and Benjamin for the last time.

His heart faltered at the thought of never seeing Phoney or his family again, but he resolve strengthened. He had to do this and if he didn’t, then he would regret it for the rest of his life. Then Fone turned his back on the bedroom and his home left it or the last time.

* * * 

There was nothing more to pack. Everything they would take was already on the cart. The ox was pawing the lawn, ready to begin the journey after being disturbed so early in the morning. Phoney was waiting by the cart with Smiley double checking the reins and the possessions. The cart was full of hay, fresh from Farmer Jones Bone’s barn and would feed the ox for the journey. 

Shortly after Fone left his front door, Penelope pulled up in her little black car with Benjamin. More goodbyes were said. Penelope dabbed at her eyes with a white handkerchief and hugged each of them tightly, even hopping up and wringing Bartleby’s neck in a tight embrace.

Benjamin hugged each of them as well and whispered in Fone’s ear during his hug, “I’ll see you again, Uncle Fone.”

Then it was Phoney who came to him next. They looked at each other and stared into the others eyes. Fone swallowed, knowing this was it. No more would Phoney be there in his life, no more would he have to worry about Phoney scheming and getting into trouble, Penelope would look after him from her on and he had changed a lot since those days. They clasped hands and Phoney pulled him into a tight hug which was joined by Smiley who wrapped his long arms around his smaller cousins. The three of them held each other tightly in a long embrace. He could hear Penelope blowing her nose behind them. 

Then they released each other and it was time to leave. Fone took the reins and Smiley clutched his lute a tear leaking from his eye. Bartleby mounted up behind them as he had done when they left the Valley years ago. It was like they had came back, save for the spot reserved for Phoney. 

They waved goodbye, all words and hugs given and received. Fone kept switching from looking ahead to looking back until Phoney and his family disappeared when they turned a corner.

* * * 

“So when is Thorn and Li meeting us again?” Smiley sadly strum his lute. 

“Outside of Boneville’s city limits. Don’t worry, Thorn will find us. Remember how she found us when we were lost in the forest,” Fone reassured him.

They had past by several Bones who had stopped their in daily errands to watch and wave as they passed. The cart trundle down the street giving cars the right a way. 

Smiley continued to pluck the strings on his lute glumly. Fone looked at him and said, “Ya know, you don’t have to come. You can still change your mind.”

“Nah, it’s not like I’m not planning on coming back, I just wish Phoney would come with us, ya know? Like old times.”

Fone sighed, knowing that deep down that had been his wish too. “I know. I wish he would come too, but you know why. He hated every second we were in the Valley and he has a family now. If something happened to us, who would miss us?”

“Phoney and Bartleby,” Smiley answered automatically.

“Yeah, but I mean besides him. We’re just a couple of bachelors with no kids or other family save Phoney. We don’t have the responsibilities he does.”

They were coming up on the park now. There was a stop light up ahead and as they drew close the light turned red. Fone reined the ox to a gentle halt. “Doing alright Bartleby?”

“Yeah, Fone, I’m doing fine. It’s comfortable back here.” Bartleby was hovering over them with his great height.

A car horn honked at them in greeting, drawing their attention away from the back of the wagon. The three of them waved at the driver and the light turned green. Fone flicked the reins and the ox continued forward. They didn’t noticed that in the back, the wagon had trailed some loose hay.

* * * 

Phoney tried to get some neglected work done in his office, but failed to concentrate. He kept looking out the window in the direction Smiley and Fone had taken to leave Boneville. He mentally went over the check list in his head of what they had taken. Did they have everything they needed? Yes, they did. He checked and double check and so did Fone and Penelope also checked three times. They had everything they needed for their journey so he had no need to worry on that end.

Something was bothering him. Something he needed to be worried about that was crucial right now, but he couldn’t figure out what. He began pacing his office, hands grasped behind his back, and walking in a crouch, a habit whenever he was thinking about something. What was wrong? That is, other than his cousins going off to certain danger that is.

Walter Bone knocked at his door and came in with folded newspaper on a tray and his morning coffee, prepared the way Phoney liked it, brewed strong and black. It was the newspaper Phoney was most interested in though. 

He picked up the paper and read the headline. 

Teacher Heads off into Destiny

Well, the title seems promising, Phoney thought to himself and kept reading.

Fone Bone, literature teacher of Boneville School and aide librarian, has sold off all his belongings to return to a mystical place called the Valley shortly after releasing the first chapter of his book entailing his adventures there. As many of our older readers may recall, the Bone Cousins left Boneville after what many recall as Phoncible P. Bone’s disastrous announcement for his bid the then upcoming Mayoral election. After being gone for a year, the Bone Cousins returned to Boneville with stories about the Valley and for a while afterward, many Bones speculated of there being unexplored regions still out there, but their claims of the Valley were debunked by the Boneville Explorer’s Society.

However, earlier this week, Fone released the first chapter of his book and received unanimous praise and acclaim, revitalizing the interests of the Valley. The BES had this to respond.

“After interviewing the Bone Cousins, it is my express opinion they are still deluding themselves for fame and fortune. This book is just another gamble to turn heads and boost their self-importance to the community,” says Cedric Bone, a junior member of the BES, who conducted the interview. 

However, this reporter had the chance to interview the Bone Cousins for myself and they all were of sound mind and answered all my questions with no embellishment or self praise. When asked if still resented the BES for their announcement years before, Mr. Fone Bone had this to say.

No, I don’t harbor any anger or malice towards the Explorers’ Society. In fact, I respect them whole heartedly and I understand why they felt the need to denounce our story, but I do regret that they were so quick to dismiss our story. They believe that everything that could be discovered has already been discovered and I disagree. There is so much more out there than we know and it’s all out there waiting to be explored. I grew up on the tales of Big Johnson Bone and the explorers that followed behind him and I imagined myself as one of the Explorers, paving the way for Bone expansion. It came as a shock of how dismissive they have became of the possibilities of other worlds out there for us to explore. 

Boneville Explorer’s Society, an old and celebrated group responsible for Bone expansion, haven’t announce any new lands or established any landmark colonies in the last century. The Bones who discovered such finds have sadly passed away and the BES is full of members who have never gone on any excursion beyond Boneville borders, but are willing to tout the title as senior members. 

When informed of Fone’s comment about the group, many Bones are questioning why the BES should be granted so many privileges when the current members have done little for exploration or expansion.

A quote from a Mrs. Rachel Bone, “I don’t understand why they are getting so much praise for what their forefathers did. One of their children was chosen over my son for a scholarship for which I know their child put no effort for. It’s a lot of elitism and it needs to stop.”

When asked about the BES’s comments about the book, one Bone who wishes to remain anonymous had this to say, “I don’t know if the Valley is real or not, but isn’t it pretty low to kick a guy who is just getting started in writing by, partner my language, ****ing all over his work. If it’s just fiction, then they shouldn’t have anything worry about. I think they’re worried this book is going to outshine their great grand-folks adventure comics.”

The general attitude is in favor of the Bone cousins who believe that the BES is becoming short-sighted bullies . . .

Phoney didn’t realize he was grinning so broadly until his cheeks hurt. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders leaving behind a warm glow. “We got ‘em Fone, Smiley. We got ‘em good.”

And for the first time, and the first of many times he suspected, he missed his cousins and dearly wished they were here to celebrate a much won victory. He whispered to himself, “No one messes with the Bone Cousins.”

He laid the paper down and gazed out the window in the direction Fone and Smiley had surely taken on their way to the Valley.

* * * 

Hours on the road passed by and Fone found himself scanning the edge of the trees which were become sparse as they drew near the desert. Thorn was supposed to meet them already, where was she?

As if sensing his anxiety, Smiley offered, “Maybe she slept in. Don’t worry. Thorn always comes through.”

“Yeah,” Fone muttered, not helping the churning in his stomach. What if everything they had done been for nothing? What if she didn’t show? Would they return to Boneville with their heads hung low and back to the ridicule and shame the Explorer’s Society would surely heap on them? How could he face Phoney, Benjamin, or Penelope for that matter?

Then, as if from a dream, she came out from a copse of trees. Her cloak and hair blew out behind her and her body moved with the flow of the horse’s gallop. His heart fluttered, pounding a beat in his chest and a flush rose to his cheeks. It was with optimism that he hoped he wouldn’t be too tongue tied when he greeted her.

But Smiley beat him to it with a whoop and a wave of the head. “Howdy Thorn! Ready to go!”

“I am,” Thorn pulled the horse to a halt as she approached, but her eyebrows were knitted. “I was just wondering if you could account for the extra person.”

Fone blinked. “Y-you mean Bartleby? We already said we were taking him along.”

Thorn shook her head, her mane of hair tossing in the wind. “No, I mean the passenger you have hiding in the hay.”

There was a long beat of silence and Smiley turned back to the hay with a wry grin, “C’mon out, Benjamin. You can’t hide from Thorn. She’s a Veni-Yan-Cari.”

Fone stared in horror as the hay shifted and move and a young Bone popped his head up through the straw. He gave his uncles a sheepish grin. “Hi, Uncle Fone, Uncle Smiley. Um, high Miss Thorn, I mean, your Majesty.”

* * * 

“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Fone shook his head, his hands pressing at the temples, not wanting to believe that this was happening.

After Benjamin vacated his hiding place, he told them the story of how he sneaked his travel bag onto the hay cart and stowaway while they were stopped at a stoplight outside the park. Then he explained why he did this. 

“Please, don’t send me back! I want to come! I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life! If I don’t go I’ll regret it for the rest of my life!”

“No,” Fone said stonily. “We are taking you back to the edge of Boneville and you can walk the rest of the way.”

Benjamin crossed his arms over his chest. “No, you can’t do that.”

Fone’s brows dipped low between his eyes in a glare. “And why is that?”

Benjamin said so confidently, he had to be channeling his father. “Firstly, you waste half the day taking me back and make Thorn wait. And if you do, I’ll just grab my bag and follow. I’ve been in Bone Scouts and I got a badge in tracking so I know I can follow a hay cart in the desert. And lastly, you won’t do that because you know I don’t have enough food and water to survive in the desert by myself.”

“No,” Fone said again, his expression not changing.

“Aw, Fone, let ‘im come along,” Smiley said with a few plucks of his lute. 

“Do you want Phoney to kill us?” Fone said turning to Smiley. “Why aren’t you upset – you knew . . . My God, Smiley, you knew, didn’t you?”

Smiley said nothing, but kept smiley with his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth and tuned his lute. 

Fone’s glare deepened. “Smiley, dammit! Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t tell him,” Benjamin said quickly, not wanting his uncles to fight.

Smiley took a cigar out of his vest, “Why didn’t you notice what he was planning?”

“Excuse me?” Fone said vehemently. 

“Wasn’t it obvious? The way he wasn’t sulking after the night we met with Thorn? It seems to me that he snuck out and hid where we couldn’t see him and overheard everything. He didn’t seem very surprised when we told him about it the next morning.” Smiley said casually as if talking about his day in Boneville. “Then while we were preparing, he’s been sneaking around, keeping his head down, and reading books about wilderness survival right under your nose. I could tell what the kid was up to from a mile away.”

Fone’s face darken, his fists clenched, “Then why didn’t you say anything!? Why didn’t you stop him or try to talk him out of it!?”

Smiley had strike a match on the edge of the cart and lit his cigar. He took a few puffs, completely unperturbed by Fone’s anger, “Because he needs this journey. You don’t realize it, but he’s a lot like you. His nose stuck in a book with little to no friends. And I still say this should be a family tradition.”

Fone rubbed the space between his eyes. “Smiley, he’s just a kid. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.”

“But we do.”

“And we were older than him when we came to the Valley,” Smiley said. “And we didn’t have anyone who knew the ropes when we got there. We had to learn by the seat of our pants. With us, he’ll be better off and the Valley is far more safer with the rat creature truce and no Hooded One trying to star a war or some Big Bad out to destroy the world. He’ll have it far easier than we ever had it.”

Smiley did make several strong points. According to Thorn, the Valley was stable with no problems from the rat creatures and there was peace with Pawa, the enemy nation that had joined the Hooded One’s forces. But it still didn’t sit well with him.

He turned his gaze to Benjamin who had been silently watching the exchange. “You got anything to add?”

“I left a letter with my folks,” Benjamin said quickly. “And I’ll be so careful and I’ll do whatever you tell me. No questions asked, Bone Scout’s Honor.” He held up two fingers in a salute.

Fone rubbed his face with both hands and then looked to Thorn for aide. She had been sitting quietly on her horse watching the exchange with mild amusement. When he caught her eye, she shrugged. “It’s up to you, Fone. It’s a family matter, but if he comes to my kingdom he will be treated as an honor guest and be under the protection of the Atheia Royal Family. You have my word on that.”

Fone turned his gaze back to Benjamin who was clasping his hands in front of him in a silent plea, his black eyes giving him the saddest puppy dog look he had used on his uncles in childhood.

Fone sighed, caving in, and then pointed a fierce finger at Benjamin. “You are to do exactly what Smiley and I say. You are not to go anywhere by yourself and no sneaking around. And when Smiley and Bartleby are ready to go back to Boneville, you are going back with them. Are we clear on that?”

Bejamin nodded delighted and eagerly. “Yes, Uncle Fone! I promise!”

“Don’t thank me quite yet. Because you are going to have to deal with your father when Smiley brings you back on your own. You are going to take responsibility for your actions and take any blame Phoney tries to put on Smiley or me.” 

Then Benjamin wilted as he realized he had forgotten that particular detail when planning this venture. Dealing with Phoney Bone who had had time to stew in anger for who knows how long they would be would away was not something he could think about without breaking into a sweat, but Benjamin was determine that every second of this adventure would be worth it. 

He nodded solemnly, “I promise I will.”

“Good, now you can sit beside Bartleby and keep out of the way,” Fone picked up the reins and turned his attention to Thorn, and felt his face break into an embarrass grin. “Sorry about that . . .where’s Li?”

“I sent him ahead to set up camp for the night at an oasis. We’ll chart our journey from there.”

“Two weeks of cart rides and good old fashion camping and sleeping under the stars,” Smiley slapped his good knee gleefully. 

Thorn gave him an amused smile. “It won’t quite take that long. You guys went the roundabout way the first time. There’s an easier route we can take that will lead us to a closer Ghost Circle. It’s the one Li and I took to get here. I surrounded it with prayer stones so it would stay in one place.”

Fone shivered at the idea of going through a Ghost Circle. Even though they had unknowingly went through one before, he remembered watching the Rat Creatures disintegrating into nothing upon contact with those invisible orbs. He glanced around at the cart’s occupants anxiously.

“Thorn, can we get everyone through? Safely?”

“Of course.” Thorn said with a confident smile. “Fone, my abilities have strengthen and sharpen over the years. And the Red Dragon is waiting on the other side and we now have you to help.”

Fone nearly dropped the reins. “Me!?”

Thorn gave him a wry look, “Of course. Just like last time, remember?”

“Thorn, I don’t think I can . . .”

“Fone,” she said firmly, laying a hand on his. “Don’t start doubting yourself now. Think of what you accomplished in the Valley when you didn’t know about being a Veni-Yan-Cari? Now imagine what you could do now that you know.”

“Yeah, Fone,” Smiley leaned forward in a way he could never have done before without his knee brace and slapped Fone and Thorn heartily on the backs. “And we’ll be cheering you on from the cart.”

Thorn’s touch on his hand and Smiley’s vote of confidence was enough to calm his worries for now, but he wasn’t looking forward to attempting a Ghost Circle again. When Thorn took her hand away, he missed it’s weight. In the back of his mind, he heard Phoney’s voice telling him not to read anything into it, but he couldn’t stop the wellspring of warmth and tenderness in his heart from overflowing and to take pleasure in her closeness as they made their way to Li’s camp.

* * * 

It was late evening and Phoney realized that something was wrong beyond the fact that his cousins were gone. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something not right in his world. 

His phone had been buzzing with Bones with questions about the book, the newspaper article, and Fone’s departure from Boneville. He told his secretary to tell all callers he was busy for the day so he could get some work done and miss his cousins in peace. There was an itch at the back of his neck now, a familiar itch he got when something was going wrong. Gran’ma Ben would call it his version of Glitchy Feeling, when her head spins and she feel wobbly, it was an omen warning her of terrible events and they were usually right. Phoney didn’t believe he had such a thing, but did recognize it as a bit of a sixth sense of him overlooking something vital.

When the door burst open and his wife charged in, he leapt out of his chair, knocking it over, in fright. “Penelope!?”

He had never seen his wife in such a state. Her face was stricken and her dark hair was falling out of her bun. In her hands was a wrinkle paper that looked as if it had been handled over and over till the edges were frayed. Penelope rushed to his desk, her eyes wide and frantic, “Why haven’t you been answering your phone!?”

“Penelope, honey, what’s wrong?” Seeing his wife in such a state was frightening him. Penelope was usually so calm and collected during any crisis. Even when Ben had broken his arm when he was ten, she had been worried, but stayed calm throughout the trip to the hospital. 

“Ben! Ben, he . . .here!” She slapped the paper on his desk. “Read!”

Phoney took up the paper and had to smooth out the wrinkles to make the print readable. 

Dear Mom and Pop, 

Please, don’t get mad or upset with me or blame Uncle Fone or Uncle Smiley. This is something I decided to do on my own and I have to do it. Ever since I was little, I have heard the stories of the adventures Pop had in the Valley with Uncle Fone and Uncle Smiley. I always imagined myself with you during those times and even pretended in my old tree fort I was right there beside you during the siege of Atheia or hiding in the forest from Rat Creatures. And it was the reason that I took Uncle Fone’s manuscript to be printed in the first place as I wanted all of Boneville to know of all the great things you guys did in the Valley.

And now the chance has come for me to have my own adventure in the Valley and I have to take it. I know it’s dangerous and I have not forgotten what you told me last night about the Pawan soldier. I think it’s worth the risk as I cannot see myself staying in Boneville any longer without seeing something of the world beyond it. 

I promise to come back with Uncle Smiley when he returns. And I promise to be careful and come back safe with lots of stories.

Your loving son,  
Benjamin Bone

Phone read the letter once, then read it again, and half way through the third read through, he crumpled it up in sudden rage. “That kid! That stupid, foolish kid! Dammit it all!” Then he seized his coat and fumbled for his car keys. “I’m going after him.”

“How? They left this morning!” Penelope trilled mournfully.

Phoney looked at the clock and saw that it was well past 4:00. Then he turn his determine eyes on his wife, “I’m pretty sure my Bone Mustang can out speed a hay cart, dear. I’m bringing what’s left of him back home.”

“What’s left of him?” Penelope said tearfully.

“Because when I get my hands on him, there might not be enough left of him to bring home!” Phoney stormed from the office.

His employees who were ready to clock out for the day noticed their boss on the rampage and ducked back into their offices. Phoney didn’t take the elevator, instead finding the need to burn off his inner rage by exertion of going down the stairs. On the way down, he turned a sharp corner and nearly collided with Cedric Bone, the same young Bone that conducted their Boneville Explorer’s Society interview earlier.

“Mr. Phoncible P. Bone!” Cedric exclaimed, catching himself on the stair rail. He was just as surprised as Phoney to see him, but he recovered himself quickly and his face dark into a furious look. “I must have words with you, sir.”

“Ain’t got time, kid,” Phoney pushed pass and continued downward. 

“Then I must insist that you may time,” Cedric followed after him, nearly treading on Phoney’s heels.

“Another time, alright! I got somewhere I need to be.”

“Then I have no choice but to accompany you as what I have to say can no longer wait,” Cedric was very determined to be heard.

Phoney snorted, not caring about being followed. That is until he made it outside to his car and Cedric climbed in with him.

He turned in the seat, “What the hell are you doing, kid? Get out!”

“I will not,” Cedric declared shutting the door. “We have to talk and I will not leave your side until we do!”

Phoney seethed, his hands clenching the wheel so tight the leather protested. “I. Do. Not. Have. Time.”

“Frankly, sir, I do not care,” Cedric was almost sneering at him.

Phoney was never one to give in or stand down, especially not to young punks, but each second he stalled, the further Benjamin was from Boneville. Phoney started the car. “Fine, you little puke, you wanna talk, then talk. But first, buckle up.”

The car pulled away from the curb and shot down the street startling several pedestrians on their way home from work or errands.


End file.
